Automated license plate reader cameras watch Greater Cincinnati streets from perches on poles, streetlights and traffic signals. They photograph every vehicle that passes by and use artificial intelligence to catalog license plates and other details into a searchable database for law enforcement.
And, they’re becoming increasingly unpopular.
Bipartisan backlash against the surveillance technology, sold by companies like Flock, Axon and Motorola, is shaping current political decisions — and campaigns for the November election. While automated license plate readers aren't on the ballot, voters will choose candidates for several offices that can influence decisions about cameras in their communities.
What are people’s worries?
Tri-State law enforcement agencies tout the technology as helpful for solving crimes, finding missing people and identifying stolen cars. But, some people say that isn’t enough to justify violating the privacy of everyone.
In August, protestors gathered outside of Hamilton’s municipal building, holding signs that said, “Just say no to mass surveillance,” and called on the city to terminate its contract with Flock Safety. Among them was resident Terrance Huff, who pointed out several license plate readers nearby.
“They sit around like little spies for the government,” Huff said.
Others have expressed concerns about license plate reader companies’ data storage.
Flock Safety says its data is deleted after a certain period of time, depending on the individual contract with a city. But since Flock is a for-profit company, some people are worried about the possibility of Flock sharing its information with immigration enforcement or using it to track those receiving reproductive care, such as abortions.
That issue came up in a May meeting in Newport, when residents, like Kyle Randall, shared their misgivings with the city.
“There’s always going to be an open question or doubt about who has access to our data when there is a third party involved,” Randall said.
There have also been instances of police officers misusing the system, employing license plate camera networks to track ex-partners and other people they know. A Sharonville police lieutenant was recently charged with a felony after he searched the Flock camera system 29 times between December 2024 and last April to find someone for personal reasons.
Most local backlash has focused on Flock because nearly all of the license plate reader technology in the region is provided by the company. About 95% of the more than 1,000 license plate readers in Greater Cincinnati are Flock cameras, according to the crowd-sourced map DeFlock.
Dozens of Tri-State law enforcement agencies have signed contracts with the company. Some did not require a vote from city councils or county commissions because the cost of purchasing the technology fell below a certain threshold.
Who has removed the cameras?
A growing number of communities in Greater Cincinnati are ending their use of Flock cameras as people voice concerns. Some decisions are made by a vote of a city council or county commission. Others are announced by law enforcement agencies. The contracts signed by license plate reader companies and police or government leaders often determine who has the power to terminate the agreement.
Last month, Bellevue City Council voted unanimously to suspend use of Flock cameras while it evaluates whether to cancel its contract completely. One council member said it would be a disservice to Northern Kentucky residents to continue using the technology, due to issues with the company and how it uses data.
Around the same time, Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey announced her department was stopping use of its 75 Flock cameras. She said even though the technology had been “incredibly useful,” her decision put “privacy and public trust first” since she’d heard concerns from the community.
“I was elected to represent the people, and that is what I intend to do,” McGuffey said.
Other communities that have paused or ended their use of Flock include: Oxford, Monroe, Lebanon, Newport, Fort Thomas, Independence, Fort Mitchell, Erlanger, and Florence.
Who is keeping the cameras?
Other communities are deciding to continue using Flock cameras, like Delhi and Wyoming.
Delhi Police Chief Jeff Braun is promising transparency and accountability with his department’s use of license plate readers. He says the department has policies, including audits, and misuse will lead to discipline or even criminal charges.
The department also recently introduced a transparency portal. The online portal is produced by Flock Safety and lists how long data is kept, how many times there have been data searches, and which other agencies data is shared with.
Wyoming has taken a similar approach, and also hosts a transparency portal through Flock.
What could elected officials do?
Elected officials at various levels of government can play a role in decision-making about Flock cameras and other surveillance technology.
At the federal level, members of Congress have legislative tools to influence if, and how, license plate readers are used. Several U.S. Senators and Representatives have introduced bills to ban the use of automated license plate readers by federal agencies and withhold federal money from municipalities and police departments that use Flock cameras.
At the state level, the governor could issue executive orders to restrict the use of the cameras by certain state agencies and departments, and work with the state legislature to enact laws. State lawmakers have already proposed a number of bills related to Flock, from punishing officers who misuse data to prohibiting government agencies from using the technology altogether.
Locally, city councils and county commissions can approve certain contracts and vote to end them, too. Councils and commissions can also pass rules to put limits on license plate reader cameras, like establishing a surveillance use policy or limiting data sharing and storage.
What do candidates for Ohio governor say?
Flock cameras are an issue in the race for Ohio’s governor.
Both Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy have taken critical positions on the license plate reader cameras, but the candidates differ in their proposals for how to regulate the technology.
When asked about Flock cameras in August, Acton said she’d do a comprehensive overview of all public safety and emergency response, according to reporting from the Statehouse News Bureau.
“I absolutely know that we have had, as Gov. [Mike] DeWine has said, many crimes solved due to use of technology,” Acton said. "When I come in, we'll be doing a very comprehensive overview of all our public safety and emergency response.”
Later, she said she’d take regulation a step further and support bipartisan legislation banning the use of Flock statewide.
Ramaswamy has also raised concerns about the technology, but hasn’t said what regulations on it he’d support.
“I have zero tolerance for an expansive surveillance state in Ohio and I’ll ensure that Flock cameras aren’t ever used to spy on individuals inside their vehicles,” Ramaswamy wrote on social media.
Candidates for the U.S. Senate, House, and local elected officials can play a role in regulating Flock cameras and other surveillance technology.
You can learn more about other candidates on your ballot in WVXU’s voter guide.
How to get public information from Flock
Want to learn more about Flock in your community? Making a public records request to your local police or sheriff’s department can be a good place to start.
In Ohio, any person can request public records. In Kentucky, you must be a resident of the commonwealth.
- Learn more about Ohio’s Public Records Act, what qualifies as a public record, and how to make a request in the state’s open government resource manual.
- Learn more about Kentucky’s Open Records & Open Meetings Acts, what qualifies as a public record, and how to make a request in this guide for the public and public agencies.
- Find sample Freedom of Information Act request letters, listed by state, from the National Freedom of Information Coalition.
How to submit your public records request can vary by agency. Some have public request portals. For others, you can send an email or a form in the mail.
Public records you may be able to request from your local police department, city council, county commission or sheriff’s department include:
- Contracts with automated license plate reader vendors, including, but not limited to, Flock Safety, Axon or Motorola
- Policies on automated license plate reader data access and data retention
- Invoices, receipts, and/or requests for the purchase of any automated license plate reader product/service
- Policies on automated license plate reader searches and alerts
Dany Villarreal Martinez, Lilley Halloran and Bill Rinehart contributed reporting to this article.
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