One month after the Tiverton Town Council approved a state police plan to install a FLOCK license plate camera/reader on Route 24, Little Compton Police Chief Scott Raynes is proposing one as well.

Raynes appeared before the Little Compton Town Council last Thursday, telling members that the cameras could be a valuable crime fighting tool.

Unlike FLOCK automated cameras recently approved in Tiverton and other towns, Chief Raynes said the cameras would be fully controlled by the Little Compton police department. Each would cost the town $3,000 a year, he said, and the money would likely be taken out of the police department's budget, he said.

Councilors had questions. Gary Mataronas said that while he thinks the cameras could be a good tool, he acknowledged that some in the town might have privacy concerns.

To that end, Raynes said the intent with the stationary cameras is not to limit First Amendment rights or invade residents’ privacy.

“It’s not a ticket camera, it's a camera on top of a pole,” Raynes said, insisting that the cameras would be monitored by detectives and the deputy chief and that any unauthorized sharing of data would be met with legal consequences.

Council president Patrick McHugh suggested continuing the conversation at the next town council meeting, potentially with a contract drafted for solicitor review.