Dear Editor: Roswell residents recently read in the Roswell Daily Record that the Police Department installed 25 license‑plate cameras across the city. What most people don’t know is that these cameras are part of a much larger surveillance system — one that was approved quietly, installed without permits, and publicly described in ways that do not match the actual capabilities documented in city records.
The Police Department’s press release claims the cameras “do not record video” and that the data “belongs solely to RPD.” However, the technical documents and contracts used to install these devices show the opposite. The cameras include live‑streaming video capability, 30 days of stored footage, external radar units, and “Vehicle Fingerprint” technology that identifies cars by decals, roof racks, and other unique features. The system also shares Roswell’s camera network with multiple agencies across New Mexico — and even with police departments in Texas.
Emails between Flock Safety and city staff show that these surveillance poles were installed in the public right‑of‑way without permits, without public notice, and without a vote of the City Council. In fact, the contract binding Roswell to this system was signed by an Accounts Payable employee, not an elected official.
Whether residents support or oppose this technology, we all deserve transparency. A surveillance system that tracks vehicles across the state and nation should never be implemented through quiet administrative approvals and public statements that do not match the documented capabilities of the equipment.
Roswell deserves an open conversation about how this system was approved, what it actually does, and how our data is being shared.
Sarah McArthur, Roswell, NM
