SKAGIT COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Two cities in Skagit County are planning to install new technology to assist police investigations into suspected crimes.
Both Mount Vernon and Sedro-Wooley approved the agreements with tech company Flock Safety last month.
Mount Vernon is spending over $38,000 from its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to buy six cameras. Meanwhile, Sedro-Woolley is spending over $44,000 for seven cameras.
The cameras will be installed at entrances and exits to the cities early next year but can be moved at any time.
Mount Vernon Police Lieutenant Dave Shackleton says that the cameras will document passing traffic such as the makes and colors of cars as well as license plate numbers for a variety of purposes.
“Things like AMBER alert vehicles, Silver alerts, missing Indigenous folks’ alerts to see if we can get them identified and where they might have come and gone to get somebody in custody if it’s a crime-related thing or to make sure they’re safe if it came to a missing children, Silver alert type-thing,” Shackleton said.
Vehicles not displaying license plates or matching wanted lists will be flagged for law enforcement to review the footage.
Images in the system not pertinent to investigations will be deleted after 30 days.
