FAQs

Existing Capabilities:

• Surveillance cameras (Milestone) have been in place since 2005.
• Officers can manually review camera footage and manually run license plates in squad cars.

New Enhancements Being Proposed:

• Upgrade existing and add additional cameras in the downtown corridor (Milestone cameras)
• Add Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) in Squad Cars (Axon cameras)
• Add New Cameras Near Entrances to the City Limits and Heavily Traveled Roads (Flock cameras)
• Purchase Mobile Trailer Cameras

These upgrades will:

• Improve efficiency – AI tools reduce time spent reviewing footage.
• Enhance investigations – ALPR can automatically flag vehicles linked to crimes (ex. Stolen motor vehicle) or provide notification of missing or wanted individuals.
• Support law enforcement – By using technology as a force multiplier, we can optimize resources and response time.

These technology enhancements and investments would be purchased with existing funds.

ALPR is a system that automatically scans and reads license plates from fixed cameras (Flock) or police squad car cameras (Axon ALPR). Instead of officers manually running plates, ALPR automates this process, making it faster and more efficient for:

• Identifying stolen vehicles
• Locating vehicles linked to crimes
• Detecting vehicles associated with outstanding warrants
• Aids in finding missing persons

AI analytics assists officers in reviewing video footage by:

• Filtering video searches based on descriptions (e.g., "red car" or "blue jacket").
• Enhancing investigative efficiency by reducing manual review time.

Flock is a nationwide ALPR network that allows agencies to track vehicles entering or leaving the city in real time. This multi-agency intelligence-sharing tool can help with:

• Stolen vehicle recovery
• Amber Alerts & missing persons cases
• Inter-agency investigations

• Increased Efficiency: Automates time-consuming processes such as manually reviewing video footage. 
• Better Outcomes: Helps identify suspects and vehicles much faster.
• Proactive Approach: Provides additional deterrence benefits and real-time investigative capabilities.
• Cost-Effective: Leverages existing investments while minimizing new infrastructure costs.

The Mankato Department of Public Safety uses Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology to capture and store digital license plate data and images, while respecting the public's established privacy rights. Operators are required to take precautions to avoid inadvertently capturing images of areas with a reasonable expectation of privacy. The collected data is strictly for official departmental use and, as it may contain confidential information, it is not available for public access.

Strict safeguards, both procedural and technological, are in place to protect this data. Any unauthorized use or acquisition of ALPR data in violation of Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. § 13.09) will result in disciplinary action and may lead to criminal charges. Furthermore, ALPR technology is solely for law enforcement purposes and cannot be used to monitor or track individuals without a search warrant or urgent circumstances.

View the Automated License Plate Reader Use Draft Policy for complete details and state statutes.

All technology is governed by strict policies, state law, and oversight measures including:

• Audit Trails – Every time the system is accessed, it is logged for review. 
• Individual Logins – Only authorized users can access these tools. 
• State Law Compliance – Minnesota state law regulates data access, retention, and use.

Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) can only be used for police work and cannot be used to track someone unless there's a search warrant or an urgent need. Data will be securely protected, and any misuse of these tools could result in disciplinary action and could lead to criminal charges under Minnesota law.

View the Automated License Plate Reader Use Draft Policy for complete details and state statutes.

No. AI tools do not include facial recognition and cannot track individuals live. AI is used only for reviewing recorded footage to assist investigations.

All data follows Minnesota state law and city policy:

• ALPR data: Retained only within regulated timeframes for investigative use. MN state statute provides that automated license plate reader information that are not related to an active criminal investigation must be destroyed no later than 60 days from the date of collection.
• Surveillance footage: Stored based on investigative needs and compliance rules.

Video footage is generally considered public and may be available through a data request unless it is part of an active criminal investigation. However, data retained from Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) is not public. License plate information and all data and images gathered by the ALPR are strictly for official departmental use. Since such data may contain confidential information, it is not open to public review. 

View ALPR Draft Policy for more information and specific statutes.

The City of Mankato is inviting public feedback through a 30-day comment period starting March 25. Residents can:

• Review the draft policy & information online
• Submit comments through the Every Voice platform
• Attend City Council meeting and provide in-person comment on April 28.

City Council will review public input and determine next steps. Some upgrades may be approved in phases based on feedback and funding.