Bibb sheriff explains how new camera systems help deputies keep Macon's streets safer

In October, four inmates escaped from the Bibb County jail. Investigators knew they were looking for a blue Dodge Challenger.

A crucial tool, a network of tag-reading Flock cameras, was not yet running in Bibb County. Davis says if they had been working, it likely would have made a difference early in the investigation. 

At a press conference after the four inmates were finally captured, Davis said Flock systems from other counties helped them track each inmate down.

Now, the cameras have made a world of difference.

"Identified over 60 vehicles," Davis said. All of them were stolen. "Recovered 17 of them, arrested 14 individuals. And that's just been in the last two or three weeks they've been in place."

It's all thanks to a team of Bibb County deputies, especially investigators and the intelligence unit, and the Flock system.

The team who have access to the feeds won't go after something like an expired tag, but they will go after a stolen tag, a stolen car, or a car involved in a crime.

"The case where we had the officer-involved shooting a couple of weeks ago was as a result of a Flock notification of a stolen vehicle," Davis said.

The cameras scan the plates of every car that passes by. They take note of the make, model and color of a vehicle. If the details match up with one in their system, the information gets sent to deputies on the road. 

Then, the closest deputy can track the car down and make a stop.

Deputies can also search through the Flock system with phrases like, 'Blue Dodge Challenger,' and see a list of all matching cars in a set period. Davis says the longest they stay in the system is 30 days.

In downtown Macon, a network of about 60 cameras works similarly, monitoring the sidewalks. They too can note things like the color of a shirt someone is wearing, and, according to Davis, have basic facial recognition functions.

Unlike Flock, they don't offer real-time notifications. The cameras, made by California-based company Verkada, are more like regular security cameras. 

Davis says there's a live feed, but you can rewind and watch them later too.

While Flock cameras help fight crime and solve cases, others question their use. 

The American Civil Liberties Union says certain aspects of Flock's system could, theoretically, help the government track any car that goes by.

Professor Jim Fleissner at Mercer University's law school says there could be a gray area.

"If the government surveillance cameras follow you for an extended period of time so that they can reveal the sum total of your movements out in public, for a period of weeks, for example; that could be a privacy issue under the Supreme Court cases," Fleissner said.

He says based on case law, a car would have to be in constant view of a camera. Macon-Bibb County doesn't have a system that expansive.

If the cameras are being used to take pictures of license plates, or of you on a public street, it's allowed.

"When you're out in public, even in the view of government surveillance cameras, your movements are not private. You do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in those movements," he said.

Davis says he doesn't view them as surveillance. He says they monitor Macon's streets for signs of trouble, like having more deputies on patrol.

"It is truly a force multiplier for us to be able to see what's going on, and to see people who may be trying to do harm in our community," he said.

Here's a quick run-down of all the kinds of cameras you can see around your community and what they do.

Flock cameras:

This system reads license plates and notes the make, model and color of each car that passes by. Davis says most images drop out of the cloud in a matter of days and are fully gone after a month. The Bibb County Sheriff's Office paid for these using a $1.6 million public safety grant from the state. These cameras do not give out tickets.

Verkada cameras (downtown): 

This system monitors downtown sidewalks. Davis says, for the most part, they're just like regular security cameras. They have basic facial recognition abilities, according to the sheriff, and note things like the colors of different garments. Macon-Bibb County paid $700,000 on this system for a 10-year lease last year, largely using money earned through school zone speeding tickets. Like the Flock cameras, they also do not give out tickets. 

School zone speeding cameras:

Possibly the most controversial camera system in the county, these cameras monitor the speed limit in the county's school zones. They enforce the school zone speed limit from an hour before school to an hour after school when lights are flashing.

"Our deputies that are assigned to do that, they go in and check them every morning, and say, 'OK, this is one. That's a violation, that's a violation. And then the citation is mailed," Davis said.

Davis says his deputies comb through every picture from the cameras. He says how the cameras take pictures is an important difference. Those cameras only turn on if they detect someone speeding.

If you get a speeding ticket from the Bibb speeding cameras, you can appeal them. Just follow the instructions on the letter you get in the mail.