Do you know what Flock cameras are? A Cleveland City Council Safety Committee meeting sparks conversation from opposing sides.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland City Council Safety Committee voted Tuesday to approve a six-month extension of the city’s contract with Flock Safety after hours of testimony from residents divided over the use of the company’s automated license plate reader cameras.
Supporters argued the cameras help law enforcement solve crimes, while opponents raised concerns about privacy and potential misuse of data. Some were in support of cameras, but had concerns about Flock Safety.
Flock Safety is a for-profit safety technology company that operates a network of AI-powered security cameras, Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR), and gunshot detection systems.
Flock cameras are AI-powered surveillance cameras used by law enforcement, primarily functioning as ALPRs, logging the make and model, time, date, and location of every passing vehicle.
The technology is not unique to Cleveland. Several Northeast Ohio communities, including Shaker Heights, also use Flock cameras. Anyone driving through Cleveland may have their license plate captured by the system.
The Safety Committee voted against extending the city’s contract with Flock last month, but agreed to revisit the issue in Tuesday’s meeting. Many constituents expressed concerns about where the collected information is stored, who has access to it, and how it could potentially be misused
“The cameras have vindicated many of my clients,” Glenville resident Brenda Bickerstaff said during public comment. “But who’s in charge of the restraint? You cannot use technology to solve crime.”
Several residents warned of the potential infringement on personal privacy. One speaker asked Safety Committee members, “How would you feel if residents could access your daily movements…where you live, when you arrive at city council,” and urged the committee to reject the contract renewal.
Others argued the technology has proven valuable in solving crimes. A member of Cleveland churches said Flock cameras helped identify suspects involved in vehicle break-ins at local churches.
Resident Terri Wong said the city’s intentions for collecting and using data should be clearly communicated to the public. Following her testimony, Councilman Richard Starr asked Wong whether she was “a legal American citizen.”
After hours of discussion, the Cleveland City Council Safety Committee voted to approve a six-month extension of the city’s contract with Flock Safety. The proposal now moves to the Finance Committee before receiving consideration by the full Cleveland City Council.
If approved, the extension would include additional restrictions on data access. Under the proposal, only Cleveland officials would be able to search data collected by the city’s cameras, preventing other jurisdictions from searching for Cleveland vehicles through a national database.