Police Advisory & Oversight Board - October 10, 2024 Minutes

MINUTES
Meeting: Police Advisory & Oversight Board Regular Meeting
Date: 10.10.2024
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Fargo Police Department Gateway Commons
The Regular Meeting of the Police Advisory & Oversight Board of Fargo Police Department was held in the Gateway Commons at the Fargo Police Department at 5:00 p.m., Thursday, October 10, 2024.

The Police Advisory & Oversight Board members present or absent were as follows:

Present: Conrad Thomas, Lucrachia King, Tonya Greywind, Scott Paul (arrived late), Todd Spellerberg (arrived late), Joanna Johnson (arrived late).

Absent: David Hogenson.

Item 1. Welcome and Introductions
Chair Greywind welcomed Members to the meeting. Due to not having a quorum at the beginning of the meeting, the meeting began with Agenda Items 6 and 7. The meeting then returned to Items 2 through 5.

Item 2. Approve or Amend Agenda
Member Paul moved the Agenda be approved as presented. Second by Member Spellerberg. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Item 3. Approve or Amend Minutes
Member Paul moved the minutes of the September 12, 2024 Police Advisory & Oversight Board meeting be approved as presented. Second by Member Spellerberg. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Item 4. Public Comment Period
• No one signed up for public comment.

Item 5. Brown Bag Discussion
• The meeting will be held at Nexus Path Family Healing (1202 Westrac Dr S) on Thursday, 11/7/2024, from 5:00pm to 6:30pm
• Opportunity for each Member to provide a summary of the past year
• Discussion about community conversations, allow community members to suggest agenda topics. How would that be done if not through a Town Hall? That’s the question. Could a time be set aside in the brown bag meeting for community members to bring forth potential agenda topics?
• Mission statement for the Board was never made. Community education/interactions. Agenda setting, concerns or things being heard of in the community
• Getting everybody’s opinions on topics for the next year
• Talking about overview or discussion for goals for the next year
• Will there be time set aside for community members to speak? Vice Chair Thomas said having some dialogue is important. Member Johnson was not sure about this brown bag. There might not be enough time.
• Member Paul said it would need to be advertised to the public so people know about it
• Member Johnson asked about using the first part of the meeting for that and then Board Members would be able to bring that into the remainder of the meeting
• Chief Zibolski thinks some of the suggestions in a brown bag setting could allow more interaction

Item 6. FLOCK Presentation – Captain Bill Ahlfeldt
1. The FPD started looking at Downtown camera replacements in 2022. FLOCK was chosen in March of 2023 and the pilot program was offered in March of 2024.
a. The pilot program was installed June 3rd, 2024 and included 21 license plate readers (LPRs) and 5 push/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras in the downtown area
2. Protects first responders and the community using technology
a. LPRs are able to scan license plates and vehicles as they go by, and the Department is able to automatically get NCIC hits
b. Camera view as officers respond
3. Collect and distribute objective evidence a. LPR searches for suspect vehicles
b. Vehicle Fingerprint technology allows to search for a vehicle when there isn’t a license plate by vehicle description (vehicle make, body type, color, back racks, top racks, etc., license plates state recognition and temporary tags)
4. Engage the community to support and grow
a. Opportunity for community participation with private systems (requires permission from the private entity)
5. Technology makes response to crime more efficient in three ways:
a. Proactively – real-time alerts when stolen or wanted vehicles enter or drive through the City of Fargo
b. Investigative – as clearance rates of cases increase, overall crime often decreases
c. FLOCK cameras serve as a deterrent
6. Detects using a number of devices
a. Falcon – LPR
b. Condor – PTZ cameras
c. Wing Gateway – network with other systems (public systems or private systems with permission)
7. Decodes (done by machine)
a. Real-time routing (gives a prediction of where someone might be going), visual search, multi-geo search (where that specific vehicle or license plate has passed in the past 30 days), vehicle fingerprint search
8. Delivers (for officers)
a. Search, map, mobile app, real-time alerts, actionable insights, license plate lookup, situational awareness
9. FLOCK Privacy
a. Protecting privacy
i. Footage is owned by the agency/city and will never be sold to private third parties by FLOCK
ii. 30-day data retention, then automatically hard deleted
iii. Takes human bias out of crime-solving by detecting only objective data (FLOCK does not look for individuals)
iv. All data stored securely with end to end encryption of all data
b. Accountability mechanisms
i. Have to put in a search reason and user number, which is saved indefinitely; this provides an audit trail
ii. Not facial recognition software, not collecting biometric information
iii. Not used for parking enforcement
iv. Not connected to registration data or third party databases (such as Carfax or the DMV)
10. FLOCK Public vs. Private
a. Only placed in public areas where there is no expectation of privacy
b. If Wing Gateway is used with a private entity, a memorandum of agreement will be signed with the private entity
i. The private entity usually post stating cameras are in use, but does not have to
11. FLOCK Wins
a. 24-55895 –GSI/Kidnapping – Officers were able to use FLOCK cameras and FLOCK LPRs to identify and locate the suspect in this incidents. Detectives later used camera footage from MAT Bus to confirm the suspect story and he was released from custody (four hour initial investigation)
b. 24-59633 – recovered stolen vehicle – FLOCK NCIC alert for a stolen vehicle, which resulted in a traffic stop and an arrest (approximately two hours)
c. 24-52261 –Stolen vehicle – officers were dispatched for a report of a stolen vehicle. Officers ran the plate through FLOCK and found the vehicle was not stolen but had been towed away by a tow company (immediately after reported)
d. 24-51536 – GSI – Officers took a report of a sexual assault with limited information about the suspect or the suspect’s vehicle. IAU used FLOCK cameras to identify the suspect’s maroon van with MO plates and then identify the driver (six days)
e. 24-49550 - Missing person – an elderly female walked away from a nursing home several times. Officers used FLOCK to generate a pattern of travel for the individual who was in the vehicle and were able to locate the missing female within the pattern (approximately two hours)
f. 24-43685 – crime analysts were using FLOCK to identify a fleeing motorcycle and while doing so, located an unrelated motorcycle doing a wheelie on a FLOCK camera. Crime analysts were able to identify a possible driver. An Intel Detective was able to locate and cite the driver for reckless driving
g. Used recently in many of the most recent shootings, shots fired, and homicide
h. Access to 591 cameras and LPRs (counting the Fargo Police Department’s) across 19 jurisdictions
i. Continue to receive requests from other agencies
12. Overview of FLOCK
a. There is an exception to 30 days of data storage; that would need to be approved by Commission as it would be an extra cost. The Fargo Police Department is not looking to do that.
13. Vice Chair Thomas asked if the no facial recognition is a limitation of the technology or if it’s something that the FPD isn’t pursuing. Captain Ahlfeldt answered it’s a limitation of the FLOCK technology. There were some other companies that had facial recognition technology.
14. Vice Chair Thomas asked for clarification on “the agency”. Captain Ahlfeldt clarified that that’s referring to the Fargo Police Department.
15. Member King asked about officers’ response to the technology. Captain Ahlfeldt answered that it’s only been within the last couple of weeks that the technology was opened up to all officers. The officers are in favor of using the technology.
16. Member Paul asked if the Moorhead Police Department subscribes to FLOCK. Captain Ahlfeldt answered they do not, but they are looking into those technologies. Member Paul asked if North Dakota Highway Patrol uses FLOCK. Captain Ahlfeldt answered that they don’t. There are some other municipalities in the state that are looking at FLOCK. Member Paul asked if the FBI or other federal government agencies would have access to that. Captain Ahlfeldt can’t answer for sure what they have access to. Member Paul asked what sort of accuracy rates or false positives with the recognition software. Captain Ahlfeldt has not looked at false positives or accuracy rates. You can adjust what the software is looking for. Member Paul asked if there is any interoperability with quad-copter or drone capabilities. Captain Ahlfeldt answered that FLOCK has its own drone capabilities. There is interoperability with cameras with the Wing Gateway. Member Paul asked if there is a limitation on the camera technology. Could a citizen have their ring doorbell camera tied into the network to help out the Police Department? Captain Ahlfeldt answered that it would more than likely be businesses identified by data and intel as being in advantageous locations that would be reached out to. There is an option for FLOCK to register a private camera’s location, but it would still be up to the citizen if they wanted to provide that video (or a search warrant could be written).
17. Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC)
a. A centralized technology hub used by law enforcement and emergency responders to provide instant information to field officers and detectives, identify patterns and stop emerging crime, combine data sources to provide comprehensive intelligence, increase investigation success, and proactively mitigate and investigate crime
b. RTCC has a mix of civilian employees (Intel Analysts) and licensed law enforcement personnel
c. In Spring of 2023, four sites were visited with a series of questions intended to help the Fargo Police Department determine how they would want to set up their center
d. Established June 26th, 2024
e. Staffed for FPD Community Picnic, Downtown Fargo Street Fair, and the 2024 Pride Parade
f. Used for major incidents during normal business hours (that’s when it can be staffed by the current staffing)
g. Staffed 50/50 by civilian Intel Analysts and sworn personnel
h. Many different screens due to many different technologies for city camera systems. Wing Gateway would allow those to be pulled into FLOCK. The Intel Analysts and Detectives in the RTCC need to know how to use each of those technologies to search each camera system.
i. Fargo Police Department RTCC Wins
i. 2024 Downtown Street Fair
1. Monitored 101 incidents total (3 days)
2. Only 3 were identified by an officer on the round. The RTCC was able to direct officers and/or inform them of the activity they were monitoring
j. Future strategy
i. Phase 2
1. PSN Grant
2. Purchase of FLOCK OS Elite (the Fargo Police Department currently has FLOCK OS)
3. Wing Gateway for traffic cameras
4. All subject to grant funding. If grant is not awarded, phase two does not happen.
ii. Dedicated/Staffed RTCC '
1. Dedicated space built as a RTCC
2. Allow for real-time information flow to officers on calls for service
3. Implemented and fully staffed 24/7
4. Funding for equipment/staff/technology 1
18. Vice Chair Thomas asked if FLOCK still collects data if the RTCC isn’t in operation. Captain Ahlfeldt answered that it does. It’s collecting data 24/7.
19. Member Spellerberg asked if it’s necessary to have the RTCC in this building (FPD Headquarters). Captain Ahlfeldt answered that it’s harder to monitor from a supervisor standpoint if it’s spread out. In his opinion, it’s important for it to be in the Police Department.
20. Chair Greywind asked if other agencies’ observed RTCCs were grant-funded. Captain Ahlfeldt answered that it’s dependent on the agency. It might be a combination of grant and city funding.
21. Member Paul asked if the FLOCK OS Elite or Wing Gateway allow interface with body worn camera (BWC) or dash cam. Captain Ahlfeldt answered that the two technologies are already speaking to each other on LPR. FLOCK OS Elite would allow to see where officers are at and the BWC real-time footage could be brought into the RTCC through FLOCK OS Elite
22. Member Spellerberg asked if the officer is aware if they’re being tracked through their camera. Captain Ahlfeldt answered that the officer is alerted if a supervisor activate their camera. That technology is currently available through Axon.
23. Vice Chair Thomas asked about security. How is the FLOCK system secured? Captain Ahlfeldt asked for clarification on if Vice Chair Thomas was asking about the release of information to the public when it comes to recordings. The information would have to be requested through the Police Department and falls within the same standards of the Axon video.

Item 7. Presentation Questions
1. A citizen asked what the cost is to move up to the Elite system. It would be $33,000 to implement, plus a yearly cost.
2. Chair Greywind asked if that includes training and updates. They’re constantly updating and fixing. The maintenance fee covers updates on cameras and technology.

Police Updates:
• Swore in new officers
• Recruiting for January class. Six vacancies at the moment. Hoping to overfill those positions to account for upcoming retirements.
• The camping ordinance implementation has gone over well for the PD and Public Health. No arrests for violations of the camping ordinance to date.

Item 8. Adjourn
The time at adjournment was 5:55 p.m.