Before most Allen County residents ever noticed them, they had quietly become part of the landscape.
Mounted along major highways entering and leaving the county, the small automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras blend into utility poles and roadside infrastructure. Many are operated by Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company that provides automated license plate reader systems to law enforcement agencies nationwide.
The cameras photograph license plates and vehicle characteristics, creating a searchable database investigators can use to locate vehicles connected to criminal investigations, missing persons cases and public safety alerts.
For some, the cameras represent another valuable investigative tool. For others, they raise questions about privacy, government surveillance and who ultimately controls the vast amounts of data they collect.
FOR ALLEN County Sheriff Anthony Maness, whose office currently utilizes six Flock cameras positioned along the county’s major highways, the answer is more nuanced.
Maness describes automated license plate readers as a useful investigative tool, but one whose value in a rural county has not justified its growing cost.
“Overall, the concept is a useful concept,” Maness said. “It’s a beneficial tool, and it’s aided in solving multiple cases.”
Asked whether the system has helped solve major cases locally since he took office, Maness said, “No major crimes.”
He said the cameras have been useful in some drug investigations and in locating missing people through Amber and Silver Alerts.
“If you’re looking for a homicide suspect, it is very, very useful and helps keep people safe,” he said.
DESPITE recognizing the system’s investigative potential, Maness said budget realities ultimately drove his decision not to renew Allen County’s contract when it expires at the end of the year.
The sheriff inherited the cameras when he took office in January 2025 and renewed the existing agreements last year after consolidating multiple contracts into a single expiration date. During this year’s budget process, however, he began evaluating whether the expense was worthwhile.
“It is just so expensive that I cannot justify the expenditure for that piece of equipment when it has not rendered significant value,” he said.
Allen County currently pays $18,000 annually for six cameras — roughly $3,000 per camera each year. The county’s contract began in 2023.
The cameras are positioned on both ends of U.S. Highway 59, both ends of U.S. Highway 169 and on either side of U.S. Highway 54 near Iola.
Maness believes the system may be better suited to densely populated areas rather than rural counties.
