Kyle Police Department

The City of Kyle is dedicated to keeping its residents informed about how their city is operating. The data on this page showcases the department’s transparency by openly sharing key performance metrics, trends and budget information. By making this information accessible, the city promotes accountability, informed decision-making, and continuous service improvements.

Following the publication of current data policies and transparency data, the City will engage a third-party expert to lead public engagement, conduct a comprehensive audit, and guide the development of a citywide data policy. This policy will address open data, data collection, data security, and data sharing, with a focus on protecting public safety information and maintaining community trust.

Data Storage & Retention

• Retained per records retention schedule; non-relevant data deleted after 31 days
• Data preserved longer only if relevant to an active criminal/civil action, discovery request, or lawful order.

Data Sharing & Intergovernmental Use

• Sharing permitted only with other law enforcement or prosecutorial agencies for official law enforcement purposes.
• Outside agencies must submit a written request (agency name, requestor, purpose) reviewed and approved by a commander or higher.
• Approved requests are documented and retained.
• Non-law enforcement requests handled under Records Maintenance and Release Policy.

Misuse Prevention

• ALPR used only for official law enforcement purposes.
• Access restricted to trained personnel with proper authorization.
• Unauthorized purposes explicitly prohibited.
• ALPR system access is password-protected, logs every user/date/time of access, and is subject to audits.

Oversight & Accountability

• Designated Commander manages installation, maintenance, retention, and access.
• Regular audits of the ALPR system.
• Access logs retained indefinitely for accountability.

Automated License Plate Readers Policy

Data Storage & Retention

• sUAS imagery with evidentiary value stored according to standard evidence retention policies.
• Records of each flight (Flight Tracking Forms, Maintenance Logs, Training Records, Mishap Reports) are archived.

Data Sharing & Intergovernmental Use

• sUAS deployment only for authorized investigations, emergencies, or approved training.
• Requires incident commander or supervisor approval.
• Deployment must follow legal requirements, including warrant requirements if reasonable expectation of privacy is implicated.
• No general “data sharing” provision — data use impliedly limited to mission needs.

Misuse Prevention

• Prohibits unauthorized use and missions inconsistent with law or Constitution.
• Ban on flights for First Amendment–protected activity monitoring unless necessary for safety.
• Explicit prohibition on using sUAS beyond manufacturer safety limits or in unsafe conditions.
• Unauthorized use subject to disciplinary action.

Oversight & Accountability

• Chief of Police or designee ultimately responsible for program.
• Training and certification required for all operators and observers.
• Detailed documentation required for every mission and stored for review.
• Multiple safety, approval, and logging protocols ensure operational accountability.

Drone Policy

Data Storage & Retention

• Default 30-day retention; communities can set shorter/longer limits.
• Data owned by local agency; Flock does not sell data.

Data Sharing & Intergovernmental Use

• Sharing controlled entirely by local agency (opt-in per agency, radius, state, or National Lookup).
• Some states have sharing restrictions (e.g., no cross-border sharing in California).
• National Lookup only for full plate matches; cannot run partial or broad sweeps.

Misuse Prevention

• Searches require reason and case number (new feature allows agencies to mandate case number).
• Illinois-style attestation blocks impermissible uses (immigration, abortion, gender care) for certain jurisdictions.
• “Proactive Search Term Tool” automatically blocks disallowed search terms.
• AI-based proactive auditing tool (planned) to detect suspicious searches.

Oversight & Accountability

• Every search is permanently logged in all affected agencies’ audit trails.
• Audits visible to command staff, elected officials, and communities.
• Agency-specific control over data sharing and search permissions.
• Flock emphasizes policy alignment with local laws/values and offers in-person council briefings.

Flock Safety Statement

The Kyle Police Department (KPD) uses Flock Safety technology to support public safety while respecting individual privacy. These cameras are used solely to identify vehicles associated with legitimate law enforcement investigations; a registered ID, case number and reason are required for each search.

Key facts about our use of this technology:

• The cameras capture images of the rear of vehicles and license plates only. They do not record faces, people, gender, or race.
• Flock does not have facial recognition; the system can only be searched for vehicle characteristics.
• The data is used strictly for law enforcement purposes and is never sold or shared with third parties.
• All data is stored with end-to-end encryption including: FBI (CJIS), NDAA, SOC2 (Type II), SOC3, ISO 27001, Higher Education Community Vendor, Assessment Tool (HECVAT), HIPAA, FERPA
• Access to the system is restricted, requires a valid investigative reason, and is logged indefinitely, which allows for regular audits to ensure proper usage.
• Data is retained for 30 days before being automatically deleted.
• As of 7/21/2025, KPD has 25 active License Plate Readers (LPRs).

Prohibited uses include:

• Immigration enforcement
• Traffic enforcement
• Harassment or intimidation
• Any use based on race, sex, religion, or other protected characteristics
• Any personal or non-law enforcement use

Additionally, under Texas law, license plate data is exempt from Open Records Requests, helping to safeguard the privacy of our community members.

To learn more about Flock usage, click here