The two-year contract, which costs $75,000 and expires in February 2028, has been in place since 2023. The cameras capture images of vehicle rear license plates, including make, model and color, but do not record video or use facial recognition, according to city meeting materials. They are not used for speed or traffic enforcement.

Most public comment at the meeting opposed the cameras. Resident Jim Titus urged the council to reject the contract, saying the technology "opens the door to police errors, abuse and constitutional overreach."

"You are being brainwashed to believe that surveillance equals safety. It does not," Titus said.

Resident Jeff Wikstrom spoke in favor of the cameras, arguing that responsible use matters more than the technology itself.

"Technology itself isn't the enemy. What matters is how responsibly we use it and who we trust to use it," Wikstrom said. "Let's give our police the tools to protect our community and give our citizens the assurance that their privacy will be protected too."

Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein has said the cameras have provided leads in several cases, including an ATM theft, burglaries, a child abduction and a kidnapping. Alerts for stolen vehicles, missing people, terrorist threats and Amber Alerts are sent automatically to county dispatch.

Klopfenstein said the Roseburg Police Department shares data only with Oregon agencies, not federal or private entities, and that searches related to immigration or reproductive care are blocked. An Oregon law passed earlier this year placed new restrictions on license plate readers, including limits on how long data can be retained.

Councilor Tom Michalek, who supported continuing the contract, said the alerts help officers investigate crime and may reduce the number of police needed.

"Flock camera information being transferred to our police department through alerts is really helpful to our police department, and I think that it actually reduces the number of policemen needed to investigate crime," Michalek said.

Councilor Ellen Porter, who voted with the majority, expressed some reservations. "I also do trust Chief Gary and the members of the Roseburg Police Department. I would be very surprised if they misused any of this information or even had any temptation to misuse the information," Porter said. "However, there is some discretion here, and this is one of the aspects that I've been trying to raise here over the last couple of meetings."

The debate in Roseburg mirrors a broader national conversation about automated license plate readers. Incidents of police misuse for stalking and other misconduct have been documented nationally, though none have been reported in Oregon. Josephine County and the city of Winston have both ended their Flock contracts, and Shasta County is considering doing the same.

The decision means Roseburg will keep its 15 cameras operating through early 2028, with the new state law governing data retention and use in effect.