When a photo depicting a toppled license plate reading camera in Kalispell's Hutton Ranch Plaza was posted to Facebook in September, one user offered bail money to culprit.  

A month earlier, another account posted a photo showing at least two cameras and their attached solar panels covered in bright orange spray paint. Users lauded the unidentified vandal as a hero, commending the person on a job well done.  

And when Kalispell City Council considered buying license plate reader technology to enforce parking, residents both in and outside of Kalispell were quick to pack city meetings in opposition.  

Much of the scorn residents have expressed toward automated license plate readers in recent months mirrors criticism across the nation. Opponents often cite privacy concerns, fear of government mass surveillance and the potential for misuse by law enforcement. 

The high-speed cameras capture images of license plates and store them in searchable, centralized databases. Law enforcement and private companies can use the information to track vehicle movements over time, according to digital rights group, Electronic Frontier Foundation.  

Flock Safety, one of the largest manufacturers of the surveillance systems, has captured the bulk of the public's ire as the backlash to license plate readers has mounted.  

THE KALISPELL Police Department is investigating two acts of vandalism — reported Sept. 26 and Sept. 28 — involving Flock cameras in the Lowe’s parking lot in North Kalispell. The cameras were heavily damaged, and the vandals tried to remove them from the property, according to Chief Jordan Venezio.  

The Daily Inter Lake identified four Flock cameras mounted on each corner of the Lowe's parking lot. Two are strapped to light poles and two are mounted about 8 feet from the ground on stanchions.  

Venezio could not confirm how many exist at Lowe's and declined to say where on the property the vandalized cameras were mounted.  

There are no government-owned license plate readers in Kalispell, Venezio said. 

Whitefish uses license plate recognition software to enforce parking at the city's parking structure. 

Lowe's locations nationwide use the license plate and vehicle data the cameras capture to assist with parking enforcement, prevent theft and fraud, and ensure security, according to the corporation's privacy policy. 

Lowe's may share personal information related to crimes on its property or in response to law enforcement requests. The data is typically stored for up to 90 days, according to the policy.   

Lowe’s did not respond to a request for comment before press time. 

The Kalispell Police Department has not requested data from the cameras to catch whoever destroyed the cameras, nor has it ever accessed any automated license plate readers in the city to carry out law enforcement duties, according to Venezio.  

If investigators wanted to get a hold of any footage, they would need a subpoena or court-issued search warrant, Venezio said.  

“It would be no different than if we saw a camera on someone’s house. We would have to apply for a search warrant to say, ‘Hey, we know this exists, and we need a judge to tell us that this is relevant to the case,’” he said.  

ALTHOUGH THE Kalispell Police Department has not directly used automated license plate readers, there have been two instances where officers asked federal and regional agencies to grab info from their own camera data when dangerous individuals posed a public safety threat, according to Venezio. 

Department personnel could request data from law enforcement agencies around the country who operate license plate readers, if state law justifies it, according to Venezio.  

There have been 88 automated license plate readers recorded in Montana in 11 cities and towns, according to DeFlock the USA, a volunteer-run public surveillance data project.  

The group documented 52 cameras in Billings, the most in the state. 

Under Montana law, law enforcement can only use license plate readers for specific investigative purposes. That includes identifying vehicles that are stolen, associated with a wanted or missing person, registered to someone with an outstanding warrant or connected to a major crime.  

A positive match alone does not constitute grounds for an officer to stop a vehicle, according to that law.  

Before a camera can be used, though, the agency must adopt and publicize a written policy that addresses how long the data is stored, how it is shared and who oversees it.  

State law also allows local governments to use license plate readers for parking enforcement. The provision sparked high tensions locally when Council considered using the technology to enforce parking downtown. The public voiced concerns over their right to privacy and the potential for the system to be misused.   

Council in August rejected funding a license plate reader in this year’s budget, but several councilors indicated they may revisit the ideas as downtown parking remains largely unenforced.  

Many residents wanted a policy in place before funding the technology, but Venezio said a policy wouldn't be developed unless funding was approved.  

“It’d be equivalent to writing a policy on something you have no idea if you’re even going to be able to use,” he said.   

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 406-758-4407 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

    Vehicles parked in front of Lowe's in Kalispell on Nov. 6, 2026. (Jack Underhill/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Flock camera mounted in Lowe's parking lot by the store's Garden Center in Kalispell on Nov. 6, 2026. (Jack Underhill/Daily Inter Lake)
  

    Flock camera mounted in Lowe's parking lot by the store's Garden Center in Kalispell on Nov. 6, 2026. (Jack Underhill/Daily Inter Lake)