# St. Cloud Police Expand ALPR Camera Use

The St. Cloud Police Department presented to the City Council on their current use of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, highlighting contracts with Flock Safety and Axon for both stationary and vehicle-mounted systems. The department maintains annual service contracts totaling approximately $50,000, including $15,000 for five stationary Flock cameras, $12,500 for five stationary Axon cameras, and $22,500 for Axon systems installed in 37 squad cars. Police Chief Jeff Oxton emphasized ALPR technology's value for public safety, while the council continues to evaluate privacy and data retention policies before deciding on future procurement or expansion.

- Procurement professionals should note the multi-vendor approach with Flock Safety and Axon providing ALPR solutions under separate contracts.
- The ongoing council discussions on privacy and data auditing policies may influence future contract requirements and compliance standards.
- Vendors offering ALPR systems with strong privacy safeguards and auditing capabilities may find opportunities as the city considers technology expansion.
- Budget planning should account for annual service contracts and potential scaling of ALPR deployments in both fixed and mobile configurations.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety
**Topics:** Digital Infrastructure
**Published:** September 22, 2026

### Government Entities
- St. Cloud Police Department
- St. Cloud City Council
- Minnesota Sheriffs' Association
- Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association

### Vendors
- Flock Safety (license plate camera system provider)
- Axon (license plate camera system provider)

### Key Quotes
> Flock had been working on voice recognition technology, but recently dropped the idea over Fourth Amendment concerns.
> — Jake Anderson, Mayor

> I think ALPR is an incredibly valuable tool to help us provide public safety.
> — Jeff Oxton, Police Chief

### Sources
- [St. Cloud Council Hears Police Case for License Plate Cameras | KNSI](https://knsiradio.com/2026/09/22/st-cloud-council-hears-police-case-for-license-plate-cameras) - KNSI