By Mitchell Kukulka
mlive.com
JACKSON COUNTY, Mich. — License plate-reading cameras will be a continued presence along Jackson County roads due to a new round of federal funding.
The Jackson City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 29 , approved a grant in the amount of $40,174 through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program.
The funding will be split between Jackson law enforcement agencies, with the Jackson Police Department receiving $25,404 and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office getting $14,770.
Jackson police will use the money to cover contract and operational costs to continue using the license plate-reading system that has been in operation since 2022, Elmer Hitt , director of police and fire services, said in a letter to councilmembers. The sheriff’s office will use its funds to continue its contract with the plate-reader vendor Flock Safety and purchase additional pieces of equipment, including rifles and tourniquet cases.
“The City of Jackson and Jackson County have both seen great success with using this technology to advance law enforcement’s goals of investigating crimes and locating wanted subjects and vehicles,” Hitt said. “It is important to continue the use of the license plate readers for future successes, and to best serve the citizens of the Jackson community.”
City Manager Jonathan Greene said he does not believe a memo sent early this week freezing spending on federal grants would affect the grant. The memo has since been rescinded. Greene said city staff have an eye on the situation, and President Donald Trump’s executive orders issued thus will not affect city funding.
The cameras, mounted along public roads, are not monitored, live video recordings. Instead, they take a single photo of the back of a vehicle, capturing its license plate.
The plate captured in the photo, saved for 30 days, is cross-checked on a “hotlist.” If a number is identified as involved in an assaultive crime, police will be alerted to where and when the photo was taken.
Investigators can also run a check for vehicle descriptions passing through an area.
There are 39 Flock cameras operating throughout Jackson County for their respective police jurisdictions. Blackman Township has 10, the City of Jackson has 10, Napoleon Township has 10, Spring Arbor University has three, Spring Arbor Township has two and Springport Township has two.
Want more Jackson -area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free “3@3 Jackson ” daily newsletter.
—
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit mlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Looking to navigate the complexities of grants funding? Lexipol is your go-to resource for state-specific, fully-developed grants services that can help fund your needs. Find out more about our grants services here.
