Flock, Lidar, and Your Privacy

It's Public Safety Thursday, and Captain Warren Gosnell of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office is back in the studio to untangle one of the most misunderstood pieces of back-to-school season: school zone speed cameras. With students returning to class next week, Gosnell walks Janet through exactly how the lidar-based camera systems work, why they're not the same as license plate reader (LPR) technology, and what really happens — step by step, human review included — before anyone gets a $100 civil penalty in the mail. From there, the conversation widens into a candid discussion of Flock-style LPR cameras, Fourth Amendment expectations of privacy, and the checks Gosnell would like to see on who can access tracking data and why. It's a mix of hard information and easy banter — plus a detour through Ireland trips, 114-degree school buses, and the golden age of calling the radio station to ask if school's cancelled. Tune in for the facts before the flashing lights start again next week. THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations. New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon. Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us. Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday