Mt. Juliet, Tenn. — The Mt. Juliet Police Department is considering a major upgrade to its public safety technology by transitioning to a new vendor for license plate recognition (LPR) cameras and launching a drone first-responder program.
Deputy Chief Tyler Chandler announced that the department plans to switch to Flock Safety, a vendor known for more accurate plate reading and cost efficiency. The proposed contract includes the installation of 80 LPR cameras throughout the community.
In addition to the new cameras, Mt. Juliet is forging partnerships with local businesses to integrate private gateway cameras into law enforcement operations. This collaboration will enable officers to access real-time LPR data from nearby business cameras during active crime investigations.
“I don’t want anyone in our community to be a victim of any crime,” Chandler said. “We work hard every day to limit those occurrences of crime in our community and we’re going to keep at it. We’re grateful for the use of technology that allows us to ensure our community remains safe.”
The department is also advancing a drone program aimed at improving emergency response times. Drones will be stationed on buildings like fire stations and dispatched quickly to active calls, streaming live video back to the Mt. Juliet communications center. Officials say this will provide critical information that can help determine the necessity of deploying officers.
Chandler explained that while it currently takes 45 minutes to an hour to get a helicopter on scene, drones can arrive within minutes, offering a faster, more cost-effective way to assist in suspect searches and enhance public safety.
The contract for the new Flock Safety cameras will be reviewed by the Mt. Juliet Planning Commission on Monday, with a second reading scheduled for June 23.
