WTVG reported that five Toledo City Council members are introducing a resolution to end the city's agreements with Flock over its automatic license plate readers, citing privacy concerns. City documents put the resolution on the council agenda for Oct. 20.
What would the resolution do?
The resolution would:
- End the city's agreements with Flock, including the removal or deactivation of Flock equipment in the city.
- Delete the Flock-generated data.
- Make sure the city does not renew its Flock contracts.
The resolution says public resources directed to Flock are "not in the best interest of the city."
Why are council members proposing it?
The resolution says Flock's technology "has expanded beyond traditional license plate recognition" into a network that can collect information about vehicles across municipal and jurisdictional boundaries. It also raises questions about privacy, civil liberties, data security, data retention and accountability.
Councilmember Nick Komives said traditional policing does more than the cameras. "We believe that more officers do, that traditional policing, community policing is what works," he said.
Where do other local leaders stand?
Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken has questioned the program and called for a pause during an audit. Lucas County Sheriff Mike Navarre wants to keep using the system. He pointed to a recent case in which Flock helped locate a missing girl who was in the Toledo area.
WTVG reports that the resolution was introduced by Komives, Dr. Brittany Jones, Theresa Gadus, Mac Driscoll and Erin Kramer.
What changes for drivers?
The resolution is on the agenda for Oct. 20.
If the council passes it, Flock equipment in Toledo would be removed or deactivated. WTVG does not say whether that would reach cameras that the Lucas County Sheriff uses, and it does not say how many Flock cameras the city has.
To see where cameras are near you, use the camera map. For background on how these systems work, read how plate readers work.
The next step is the Oct. 20 council agenda.