Lakeville City Council Approves Citywide License Plate Reader Camera Network
Published: December 22, 2025.
LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA— The Lakeville City Council has approved the deployment of a citywide network of License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras, commonly referred to as Flock cameras, following a vote during its December 15, 2025 City Council meeting.
The approved plan authorizes the Lakeville Police Department to proceed with installing 20 fixed LPR cameras at key ingress and egress points throughout the city. City officials say the system is intended to enhance public safety, support criminal investigations, and improve coordination with neighboring law enforcement agencies across Dakota and Scott counties.
What Are License Plate Reader (LPR) Cameras?
License Plate Reader systems use motion-activated cameras installed along public roadways to capture images of vehicle license plates and limited vehicle descriptors, such as color, make, body type, and distinguishing features. The systems do not use facial recognition technology and cannot identify or search for individuals.
According to the Lakeville Police Department, LPR images will be retained for 30 days before being automatically deleted unless associated with an active investigation. The cameras will not be used for traffic enforcement, speed monitoring, or continuous real-time vehicle tracking.
Why the City Approved the System
Officials with the Lakeville Police Department cite a continued rise in vehicle-related and regional crimes, including stolen vehicles, catalytic converter thefts, organized retail theft, property damage, and hit-and-run incidents. Many of these crimes involve offenders traveling across municipal boundaries, which police say makes regional data sharing and coordination increasingly important.
With Council approval, the LPR system is intended to:
Alert officers to stolen vehicles, vehicles associated with serious crimes, or Amber Alerts
Provide investigative leads by identifying vehicles entering or leaving the city near the time of an incident
Improve officer safety during vehicle-related encounters
Enhance data sharing and collaboration with neighboring agencies already using LPR technology
Several surrounding agencies, including Eagan, Burnsville, Prior Lake, Savage, Shakopee, and Dakota County, already operate LPR systems.
Camera Locations and Deployment Plan
The approved deployment includes 20 cameras placed along major arterial routes, interstate access points, and border corridors, including:
Kenwood Trail
County Road 46
Cedar Avenue (CR 70)
185th Street
Access points to and from Interstate 35
Final camera locations will be determined following site assessments conducted with LPR engineers and city staff to ensure appropriate coverage and infrastructure compatibility.
Cost and Funding
The approved costs include:
$7,050 for installation of all 20 cameras
$3,000 per camera per year for software, cellular connectivity, maintenance, and support
$60,000 total annual operating cost
City officials stated the program can be funded by repurposing existing funds and will not impact the city’s 2025 or proposed 2026 budgets.
Privacy, Data Ownership, and Oversight
The Lakeville Police Department states that all data collected by the LPR system would be owned by the City of Lakeville and governed by a department policy compliant with Minnesota Statutes §13.824, which regulates data retention, access controls, auditing, and accountability for automated license plate reader systems.
Key safeguards include:
No facial recognition capability
No ability to search for individuals
Searches are limited to authorized users with documented reasons
All access logged and retained for auditing
Automatic deletion of non-case data after 30 days
The Lakeville Police Department also plans to utilize Flock Safety’s public transparency dashboard, which provides aggregated, non-identifying data on camera locations, system usage, and search activity.
Addressing Questions About Vendor Access and Disclosure
Over the last month or so, we have received several questions from residents in and around Lakeville and across the Twin Cities regarding the role of Flock Safety, the private vendor providing the technology, particularly language in the company’s standard service agreement regarding the disclosure of footage. One of those questions concerned Section 5.3 of Flock Safety’s agreement, which was also recently raised at a Minnesota House Legislative Commission on Data Practices meeting, where lawmakers and advocates discussed how third-party vendors handle government-collected data.
Limitless Media News asked Chief Paulson about Section 5.3 of Flock Safety’s agreement, which states that Flock may access, preserve, or disclose footage to law enforcement, government officials, or third parties if legally required or if Flock determines such action is necessary to comply with legal processes, enforce agreements, or address security or emergency issues.
In response to those concerns, Police Chief Brad Paulson stated both to Limitless Media and during the December 15, 2025, City Council meeting, which you can find video of below, that if Flock Safety were to receive a request for Lakeville’s LPR data, the company would first evaluate whether the request is legally valid. According to Paulson, Flock would notify the Lakeville Police Department and would only provide the city’s data if:
The City of Lakeville consents to the disclosure, or
Flock is legally compelled to do so by a court order
Paulson said that in most cases, Flock would work with the city to respond in a manner consistent with the city’s wishes, unless legally prohibited from doing so. He added that the vendor describes such situations as extremely rare.
Below are remarks from Police Chief Paulson during the City Council Meeting on December 15, 2025.
Broader Context From Other Minnesota Communities
Discussions in Lakeville mirror conversations occurring in other Minnesota communities where LPR systems are already in place. In the South Lake Minnetonka area, for example, Shorewood Citizen Advocates recently highlighted concerns about governance, auditing, regional data sharing, and public awareness, noting that Flock cameras had been operating for nearly two years before a detailed public review.
Those discussions have highlighted how governance structures, audit timing, and regional data-sharing agreements can shape public understanding and confidence in surveillance technology.
You can read more about their thoughts on Flock camera surveillance here: Flock Surveillance Cameras: What You Should Know.
Written by: Will Wight
Cover photo from the Chief Paulson’s presentation during the December 15, 2025 City Council meeting linked above.
