Watertown, SD Police Detail License Plate Readers, Drones and Privacy Safeguards at Public Forum

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown Police Department hosted a Technology and Transparency Forum to address public questions regarding the agency’s evolving digital tools, including Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), drones, and advanced 911 dispatch capabilities.

Led by Police Chief Tim Toomey, who plans to retire in six months, the panel of senior officers and City Manager Alan Stager emphasized that while the department embraces new technology to enhance public safety, strict internal policies and public accountability remain the foundation of their operations.

“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate,” Toomey told attendees, explaining his desire for public engagement. “All tyranny needs to gain foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

ALPRs and Data Privacy

Addressing recent national controversies surrounding ALPR technology, Toomey clarified that Watertown uses mobile Axon cameras integrated into their police cruiser fleet, rather than stationary cameras provided by the company Flock. The mobile cameras automatically capture license plates as officers drive on public roadways, but Toomey stressed that the department cannot use the system to track the daily movement patterns of ordinary citizens.

“Some people think that us as a police department have this secret database that we're doing something secret,” Toomey said. “We’re not using the information for anything but a criminal investigation.”

According to the department, ALPR data is uploaded to a highly secure, encrypted Axon cloud database and is automatically deleted after 30 days unless flagged as part of an active criminal investigation. The system only allows officers to search by license plate number, vehicle color, make, and model; they cannot search the database by a person’s name.

To prevent misuse, Patrol Division Captain Kirk Ellis audits the ALPR system every 30 days, reviewing at least 10 random samples to verify that officers accessed the database for legitimate purposes. The department’s 10-year contract with Axon, which bundles ALPRs, body cameras, dash cameras, and tasers, costs the city approximately $1 million.

“If we catch an officer that is using any of our technology... they’re held accountable, and we treat it very, very seriously,” Toomey added.

City Manager Alan Stager noted that the city’s 574-page police policy manual is available online, allowing the public to review the rules governing police operations.

Stager stated, “We are by far one of the most transparent units of local government in the state.”

This commitment to policy and de-escalation is reflected in the department’s statistics; Administrative Captain Ryan Beauchamp reported that out of 17,013 calls for service in 2026, the department recorded only seven use-of-force incidents.

Drone Program Expansion

The forum also highlighted the police department’s unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) program, which has been active for nine years. The department currently has seven FAA-certified drone pilots who operate the equipment for search and rescue missions, accident oversight, and locating missing children or suicidal individuals.

Assistant Chief Ryan Remmers announced that the department recently secured an FAA waiver allowing them to fly drones “beyond visual line of sight” during public emergencies. The drones can be pre-programmed to fly to specific coordinates and broadcast automated audio messages through a loudspeaker, a feature designed to aid in emergency evacuations or to locate vulnerable individuals who have wandered away from home.

Due to federal regulations restricting the use of foreign-made drones, the department is currently transitioning from DJI models to American-made Skydio drones provided through their Axon contract. The UAV technology is also shared with the city’s Public Works department to assist with local engineering projects, such as mapping shoreline erosion along Lake Kampeska and assessing flooded areas.

Virtual Reality and Grant-Funded Tools

Beyond cameras and drones, the department has integrated several new tools funded largely by outside grants. These advancements include:

·         Virtual Reality Training: Officers now use Axon VR headsets to practice drawing and firing tasers in virtual scenarios. This saves the city money on live training cartridges and helps build essential muscle memory to prevent tragic weapon-confusion errors in the field.

·         TruNarc Drug Identifiers: Funded by a $25,000 grant from the Department of Health, this device allows officers to identify illegal substances and cutting agents without having to break open the packaging, greatly reducing chemical exposure risks.

·         Patrol Car AEDs: Through a grant from the Helmsley Trust Foundation, the department equipped its patrol vehicles with automated external defibrillators that can transmit a patient’s heart rhythm directly to the emergency room.

Next-Generation 911 Capabilities

In the dispatch center, 911 Manager Troy VanDusen showcased how software is currently protecting both officers and citizens. Dispatchers can track the exact locations of officers in the field by monitoring their active body cameras on CAD stations.

Additionally, the center utilizes “Prepared Live,” a Rapid SOS software that allows dispatchers to text a secure link to a 911 caller’s smartphone. Once the caller grants permission, dispatchers can view live video from the phone’s camera. VanDusen shared an example where this technology allowed dispatchers to watch a live feed of a teenager attempting to break through a bathroom door with a claw hammer, allowing dispatch to relay critical real-time updates to responding officers.

“It’s up to us to be kind of the gatekeepers of what makes sense for our community,” Steger said regarding the balancing act of adopting new tools. “We will continue to look at some of the concerns raised here, but also recognize that we believe we’ve partnered with one of the premier companies providing these technologies.”