Earlier this year, the General Assembly passed House Bill 58, outlining some rules for automated license plate readers or Alpers.

You might know them by a popular brand name flock.

Some Kentucky communities that ended their contracts with flock after public outcry over fears of mass surveillance.

Today in Frankfort, legislators heard from parties both for and against these cameras, including flock itself.

Clayton Dalton starts tonight's legislative update.

The debate over flock cameras, which take still photos of vehicle license plates, has made its way into town halls across the country, including here in Kentucky.

But Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson told state legislators today that this technology isn't new.

This is almost identical.

Technology is what we utilize to collect tolls on toll bridges.

This is something that's been utilized in government, in law enforcement for well over 20 years.

I understand the concerns, but I'm telling you, in nearly 30 years of law enforcement, this is the best piece of technology to assist law enforcement in real time information, to help solve crime, to make our citizens safer.

But Kate Miller, the advocacy director for the Kentucky ACLU, said the recent proliferation of these devices presents a problem.

So one Alpr camera in one place is going to capture limited data.

But we have seen hundreds in the last couple of years come to Kentucky.

Just in Louisville alone, where I live, we have nearly 200, I believe, with over 100 more planned.

So they really are in a position to be able to track someone's movement as they go about their day.

Legislators on both sides of the aisle expressed concern about these devices.

The Nexus among local, state, and federal government that we're now seeing of data sharing.

Those are two major concerns.

We have a right to privacy, the great potential that exists to violate our Fourth Amendment rights as a state representative, someone who represents 45,000 people.

Overwhelmingly, I am hearing that the very citizens that we serve do not want to be monitored and surveilled in this way.

And we should not be holding you responsible for regulating yourself.

It's our job as policymakers to give you regulations and guardrails to abide by if you're operating in our Commonwealth.

But as we move forward, I'm assuming that what you're saying to us today is that.

Yes, lock, the private company, will abide by all of the regulations and guardrails that we may enact in Kentucky.

Yes, ma'am.

I see no reason why we would not.

State Senator Danny Carroll said he does want the legislature to address this issue, but he acknowledged flock cameras can be a powerful tool for law enforcement.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a tool that will save lives and solve crimes.

And that's the way we need to approach it.

And I would just ask that we don't we don't, condemn the tool.

We condemn the improper use of it.

And that's what we need to focus on.

Many lawmakers expressed appetite for more legislation addressing automated license plate readers in the next session, including State Representative Jason Amos.

I think balance is what we need, but my fear is that we're slouching toward a police state.

It has a really good and effective use.

As a father of three, I want to honor that.

I want to support that.

But also, we've got some, I think, realistic, things that we can discuss, like requiring a warrant.

I don't know why I warrant wouldn't be required.

Frankly, I know that police probably don't like that, but I don't.

I don't know why we wouldn't require a warrant.

And Kentucky's US Senator Rand Paul has also criticized the use of flock cameras without a warrant or probable cause.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

While advocating for more rules on flock camera use, Representative Jason Nemeth said flock cameras were credited with helping find the alleged killers of Danity Greene.

The 16 year old, who was shot at her bus stop in Louisville last week.

She later died.