AUGUST 26 - SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE FOR GRAND JUNCTION BUSINESS & COMMUNITY NEWS SINCE 1994
Brandon Leuallen The Business Times
he Mesa County Sheriff’s Office says automated licenseplate readers have helped investigators identify suspects, recover stolen property and solve cases, while residents who spoke during an Aug. 18 meeting raised concerns about privacy, the Fourth Amendment and the potential for misuse. Sheriff’s Office Operations Division Chief Art Smith gave an informational presentation about the technology to the Mesa County commissioners. No vote was taken. Smith said automated license plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs, are one of several tools the Sheriff’s Office uses to investigate crimes. The agency has used Motorola license-plate-reader technology for about 15 years and began installing Flock cameras about a year ago. When all equipment is deployed, the Sheriff’s Office has 11 Motorola units and leases 11 Flock cameras located at strategic intersections around the county. The cameras capture still images of passing vehicles and license plates and record the location, date and time. The system compares plate numbers against law enforcement “hot lists,” including lists involving stolen vehicles, Amber and Silver alerts and qualifying investigations involving people with active warrants. See story Page 5
THEBUSINESSTIMES.COM
Alternatives to alfalfa?
Sheriff’s Office details usage of Flock cameras
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VOLUME 33, ISSUE 34
Alfalfa is entrenched in area agriculture, but drought drives search for alternative and complementary forage — See Page 2 CSU Extension Professor Perry Cabot explains field-monitoring equipment at the Western Colorado Research Center in Fruita. The sensors help researchers estimate evapotranspiration and compare the water use of alfalfa, sainfoin and other forage crops. Through a partnership with T-Mobile, researchers can access the equipment and its data remotely at any time. Photo by Brandon Leuallen.
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