Wichita, KS

The Wichita City Council unanimously approved Wichita Police Department funding to expand its Flock Safety license plate reader network and to buy gunshot detection devices. The package covered 10 readers under a five-year agreement plus 21 more under a two-year agreement, with the combined cost of the expanded technology reported at roughly $337,000.

What moved this decision

police department request
crime-reduction rationale

What happened afterwards

Wichita's network grew past 195 cameras by early 2026, capturing a reported 900,000 vehicle photographs a month. In July 2026 the Kansas Justice Institute sued the City of Wichita in Sedgwick County District Court on behalf of resident Mason Grimmett, asking a judge to declare the roughly 200-camera program warrantless dragnet surveillance under the Kansas Constitution and shut it down. Separately, reporting in 2026 indicated ongoing Flock costs beyond grant-funded cameras were being covered by an internal budget reallocation that was never brought to council for a vote.

What we still don’t know

These are the records we would need to describe this decision completely. If you can help obtain them, or already have them, get in touch.

Pull the Oct 15, 2024 council agenda and minutes to separate the ALPR line item from the gunshot-detection line item
Confirm the status and docket number of the Kansas Justice Institute suit
Verify whether the post-grant Flock funding was ever presented to council