Dayton Daily News reported, citing WCPO's reporting, that Flock Safety confirmed six of its license plate reader cameras were removed from Lebanon, Ohio, without the city's knowledge. The company says the cameras were taken down in error after being flagged as inactive.
The cameras had been covered with bags since September, when the city council voted to pause the program. That pause followed Flock missing the mayor's deadline to answer questions about its data practices. The company later provided those answers.
What happened to the Lebanon cameras?
- Six cameras were removed while still covered.
- City officials were notified after the cameras were already gone.
- The council voted 4-3 earlier this month against ending the Flock contract and directed the cameras to stay in place, covered, while it reviews the agreement.
Police Chief Jeffrey Mitchell said the removal did not appear to be theft or vandalism. He said the city believes there is "nothing nefarious" in the removal and that the city is working with Flock to understand how it started.
Who removed the cameras, and why?
A Flock spokesperson confirmed the company was responsible and said the cameras were removed in error. According to the company, covered cameras flagged as inactive automatically triggered crews to remove them within the last week.
Flock says it is working with the police department on next steps.
What changes for drivers in Lebanon?
The six removed cameras are no longer in Lebanon. The report does not give a count of the Flock cameras still in the city, and the council has directed the remaining ones to stay covered while it reviews the contract.
Cameras run by neighboring cities, the county, the state, a business or an HOA are not part of this removal and stay where they are. To see where cameras are mapped near you, check the camera map. For background on how these systems work, read how plate readers work, or look up published agency records for transparency documents.
What is still unknown?
The report does not say where the six cameras were mounted, whether they will be reinstalled, or what the police department and Flock will decide. It also does not say what happened at the silent sit-in that protesters planned for Tuesday night's council meeting.
The council is still reviewing the Flock agreement, and the report gives no date for its next decision on the contract.