Sedalia City Council tables Flock camera contract renewal

Published 7:14 pm Wednesday, November 4, 2026

By Jack Denebeim

The Sedalia City Council tabled a decision to authorize the renewal of the police department’s Flock camera contract until a public meeting can be held with Police Chief David Woolery during its Monday, Nov. 2, meeting.

The Sedalia Police Department has been using Flock cameras since 2024. Its original two-year contract has expired, prompting the department to request the council’s authorization to renew it.

Mayor Pro Tem and Second Ward Councilwoman Tina Boggess said she believes it would be in the best interest to hold a special meeting with Woolery to clear up concerns with the use of Flock cameras.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty within our citizens of Sedalia about how those cameras are used, what they’re used for and who has access to that information,” Boggess said. “I believe our citizens would like to have their questions answered before we decide how to move forward on this.”

Woolery, who agreed to give a presentation during a future special meeting, said he recognizes the concerns with Flock cameras, but also warned about misinformation spread on social media.

“I do understand that there’s some community members that have concern,” Woolery said. “A lot of what I’ve seen on social media is simply not true. The accountability piece, I think, is true and is necessary. That is one of the legitimate arguments.”

The police department has 11 Flock cameras, costing $3,000 apiece. The contract renewal would be for four years.

Woolery addressed common misconceptions about the technology, emphasizing that the system is designed strictly for tracking vehicle characteristics rather than individual citizens.

“Flock does not have facial recognition,” Woolery said. “It doesn’t have speed control or scan the bars on your vehicle. It takes a snapshot of a vehicle as it passes on the city street through the camera, and then, police can use that for solvability factors on cases. It is simply an investigative tool, one of many investigative tools we have, but an effective one.”

To address some of the public’s concern, Woolery said the police department has updated its protocols in using Flock cameras. For instance, every Flock search must have a case number or be part of an active investigation, a reason for the search and a description of the activity.

Every week, Commander Michael Elwood, who runs the Criminal Investigation Bureau, audits the Flock camera searches. Woolery noted the results from the most recent audit for the period of Oct. 23-30.

“We had 102 Flock searches that were done by either investigators or patrol officers throughout that week,” Woolery said. “So, the system is being utilized for investigations … 33 of those searches were in reference to narcotic cases, 24 were motor vehicle theft or stolen vehicles, 21 were weapons offenses, 15 were hit-and-run or car accidents, four were for missing persons or endangered persons or runaways, four were assault and battery offenses and one was for a wanted person. All of those searches were found to be in compliance.”

Woolery said the department also learned about Flock’s AI audit assistance tool, which flagged a search for going over the 30-day expiration window. Flock also flags multiple searches on a singular plate.

“All of our searches are within policy,” Woolery said. “We have several policies that apply to Flock, and if somebody was violating those policies, the consequences would be severe.”

Woolery added that the only people who have access to Flock technology and searches are trained and authorized law enforcement officers.

Woolery said his presentation on Flock cameras is 50 minutes long.

“I feel it would be worth it because we have so much concern behind this,” Boggess said of having a special meeting for Woolery to deliver his presentation to the public. “I think to be able to reassure our citizens, I think it’s worth a special meeting perhaps within the next seven to 10 days if possible.”

The council did not set a date for the special meeting.

Jack Denebeim can be reached at 660-530-0142.