Sep 12, 2023 · Origin

Council approves $147,150 for 40 license plate readers for the Regional Crime Center

On the consent agenda, the City Council approves buying license plate reader technology for the Amarillo Regional Crime Center from Insight Public Sector for $147,150.00 under OMNIA cooperative contract 23-6692-03, funded by a Smart Policing Initiative grant awarded to the police department in 2021. The memo says the purchase will acquire 40 license plate readers. The consent agenda passed 5:0. The same reseller and OMNIA contract number appear on the City's later renewals of its "existing Flock Safety ALPR" system; the 2023 memo does not name the manufacturer.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Cole Stanley Les Simpson Don Tipps Josh Craft Insight Public Sector, Inc.

What the sources say

✓ Verified
On September 12, 2023 the City Council approved consent item 7.N, $147,150.00 to Insight Public Sector under OMNIA cooperative contract 23-6692-03 for license plate reader technology for the Amarillo Regional Crime Center. The staff memo says the purchase would acquire 40 license plate readers and be paid from a Smart Policing Initiative grant awarded to the police department in 2021. The consent agenda passed 5:0 (Craft, Scherlen, Stanley, Simpson, Tipps). ^[1]^[2]^[3]
Amount
$147,150
Readers
40
✓ Verified
The September 2023 and December 2023 purchase memos do not name the camera manufacturer. The same reseller (Insight Public Sector) and OMNIA contract number (23-6692-03) appear on the City's July 2025 and December 2025 renewals of its "existing Flock Safety ALPR" system, and a December 2023 resolution names Flock Group, Inc. as the company to install and monitor the City's pole-mounted LPR cameras on state right-of-way. ^[2]^[4]^[5]^[6]
✓ Verified
The City's check register records two payments to Flock Group Inc. directly: $3,150.00 on July 13, 2023 and $3,000.00 on November 14, 2024. The register does not say what either payment was for, and the council-approved purchases and renewals were awarded to the reseller Insight Public Sector rather than to Flock. The register begins in July 2022. ^[7]
Payment 2023 07 13
$3,150
Payment 2024 11 14
$3,000
Total
$6,150
See the payments in the check register →
⚠ Sources differ
Accounts differ on when Amarillo police began using license plate reader or Flock cameras.
Reported value 1[8][9]
Year
2,021
NewsChannel10 (May 2026) reported Flock ID license plate reader cameras had operated citywide since 2021. Council records show a 2021 purchase of a different (Vigilant) LPR system.
Reported value 2[10]
Year
2,022
NewsChannel10 (March 2025) reported the department installed its first camera reader at a busy intersection in 2022.
Reported value 3[3][11][7]
Year
2,023
First council approval of the Insight/OMNIA reader purchases (September 2023) and installation of 37 readers reported for October 2023; the register's first Flock payment is July 2023.

Sources

1.Amarillo City Council regular meeting agenda, September 12, 2023 — City of Amarillo, Sep 12, 2023 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026primarySubject-authoredDate is the meeting date. Consent item 7.N (license plate readers for the Amarillo Regional Crime Center).
2.Amarillo City Council regular meeting agenda packet, September 12, 2023 — City of Amarillo, Sep 12, 2023 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026primarySubject-authoredItem 7.N agenda transmittal memo (packet p. 78) gives 40 license plate readers, Smart Policing Initiative grant awarded in 2021, Bid 7674. The memo does not name the camera manufacturer.
3.City Council minutes, regular meeting of September 12, 2023 — City of Amarillo, Sep 12, 2023 · retrieved Oct 10, 2026primarySubject-authoredItem 8.W.
4.Amarillo City Council regular meeting agenda packet, December 12, 2023 — City of Amarillo, Dec 12, 2023 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026primarySubject-authoredDate is the meeting date. Item 10.J, Resolution No. 12-12-23-1 (packet pp. 83-84), names Flock Group, Inc.; item 10.Z transmittal memo (packet p. 198) covers 40 LPR camera systems, $132,250.
5.Amarillo City Council regular meeting agenda packet, July 22, 2025 — City of Amarillo, Jul 22, 2025 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026primarySubject-authoredDate is the meeting date. Item 8.K transmittal memo and bid tabulation ITB 271-25 (packet pp. 1273-1274). The memo text says 25 cameras; the bid tabulation lists 71 + 7 + 2 Flock units.
6.Amarillo City Council Agenda Packet, December 9, 2025 Regular Meeting — City of Amarillo, Dec 3, 2025 · retrieved Oct 10, 2026primarySubject-authoredItems 5.10 (Caber Phase II, packet p. 96) and 7.11 (Workday Success Plan, packet p. 199).
7.City of Amarillo check registers (pooled funds), consolidated — City of Amarillo (monthly check registers); consolidated by Khaotic Digital · download · coverage 2022-07 .. 2026-05 · retrieved Oct 9, 2026datasetPublished download replaces private individuals with their role (see Methodology).
8.Public concerns raised over new surveillance camera proposal — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), May 13, 2026 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026newsIndependentByline Canion Cavazos.
9.Amarillo City Council regular meeting agenda and packet, April 13, 2021 — City of Amarillo, Apr 13, 2021 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026primarySubject-authoredDate is the meeting date. Consent item 2.C (Vigilant license plate recognition systems) and its agenda transmittal memo.
10.Amarillo police recover record amount of stolen vehicles in 2024 — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Mar 13, 2025 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026newsIndependentByline Jerrad Lorlovick. Does not name the camera vendor.
11.APD Regional Crime Center installing license plate readers — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Oct 19, 2023 · retrieved Oct 12, 2026newsIndependentByline Alyssa Riggs. Does not name the camera vendor.