Pocatello, ID Flock Contract

Active

Who approved this?

Approved 1-1 by City Council.

The Pocatello Police Department spent $102,000 in December 2024 on 34 Flock license plate readers, using funds already in its annual budget. The Idaho State Journal, reading the council overview document, reports a Flock order form signed by former Mayor Brian Blad on December 5, 2024 setting a 34-month initial term worth $338,100, expiring around October 5, 2027 with a 24-month renewal option. Council member Hayden Paulsen cast the lone vote against the contract when it first reached the council in 2024, and the sources disagree on whether that vote fell in 2024 or May 2025, so no approval date is given. Police Chief Roger Schei told the council the department does not run facial recognition, does not identify drivers and does not track phones, and that nationwide network access was switched off about two months before the August 2026 work session. Data not tied to a report is deleted after 30 days, while information saved into a police report is kept indefinitely. The department moved from semi-annual to quarterly audits and checks every officer search for a case reason and report number. The August 2026 work session took no vote and set no follow-up date. The order form documents 34 readers while the Idaho Capital Sun reported 36 in August 2026; the count of 34 is used because it comes from the purchase document.

Recorded vote
Official (as recorded) Office Vote
Hayden Paulsen City Council member No
5 members, names not listed in the source City Council member Yes

This contract expires October 5, 2027

362 days until the community decides.

The money

  • Contract amount: $338,100
  • Cameras: 34
  • Contract amount per camera: $9,944 (about $3,510 a year)
  • Term: 34 months
  • Funding source: General fund

What happens next

    Renewals are decided in public. Residents can attend the meeting, speak during public comment, and write to the office above through official channels. The ACLU publishes a model cancellation resolution officials can adapt.

    Read the renewal action guide

    Sources

    Last verified: September 8, 2026. Something wrong? Request a correction.

    The record

    City Council approved it; the sources give no date. The count came to 1-1. The named yes votes: 5 members, names not listed in the source. Voting no: Hayden Paulsen. It passed as a council vote item. Pocatello Police Department runs the cameras.

    Public records put the cost at $338,100. The agreement spans 34 months. The contract covers 34 cameras. That comes to about $9,944 per camera. It was paid for via Funds already included in the police department annual budget.

    The contract is active. It runs through October 5, 2027; the decision calendar counts down to it.

    3 sources back this record; each is listed with its date under Sources. Last verified September 8, 2026. The Idaho hub holds the state records; the tracker holds them all.

    Cite this record

    Who Approved This, "Pocatello, ID Flock Contract," whoapprovedthis.org, accessed October 7, 2026, https://whoapprovedthis.org/city/id-pocatello/.

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