Dayton Covers Flock License Plate Cameras During Policy Review After Finding Policy Violations

City workers in Dayton, Ohio climbed ladders and pulled trash bags over Flock Safety license plate readers after residents questioned whether the devices were still collecting information. The cameras remain physically installed while reviews continue.

An internal Dayton police department review found egregious violations of city policy, including thousands of immigration-related search requests from various law enforcement agencies.

City Manager Shelley Dickstein described the findings as egregious violations of city policy during a May 1 press conference. Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company, stated its data-sharing practices comply with federal law. A Flock spokesperson said the company always wants to ensure that a city fully understands the impact of their decision before Flock cameras are turned off.

The same statement noted that Richmond, California recorded a 33% spike in auto thefts during the time Flock cameras were off. Local law enforcement in Austin, Texas said multiple violent incidents would have ended much earlier if the city had Flock cameras.

Flock has said its system includes human review safeguards and that the technology is designed to support investigations rather than serve as the sole basis for enforcement decisions.

A Business Insider investigation found that Flock cameras had incorrectly flagged vehicles in some cases because of license plate misreads. Communities from Verona, Wisconsin to Boulder, Colorado and Evanston, Illinois have spent months battling over whether the cameras should remain online, who can access the data, and how quickly cities can force Flock to take the devices down.

Two Boulder residents filed suit against the local police department alleging its use of the cameras amounts to unlawful surveillance, The Colorado Sun reported.

Evanston officials moved to terminate their contract with Flock last August after a state audit found the company had shared Illinois license plate data with federal agencies during a pilot program, according to the Evanston Round Table. Evanston deactivated its Flock network and was working to remove the cameras.

Flock later reinstalled the devices without the city's approval, prompting Evanston officials to send a cease-and-desist letter.

The final two Flock devices in Evanston were removed in March. Representatives for Dayton and Evanston did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent over the weekend. More cities have begun reconsidering or canceling contracts with Flock following controversies over how license plate data was accessed and shared.