Camera Program Suspended
Lebanon Suspends Automated License Plate Readers Amid Growing Data Security Concerns
Anonymous
Key Points
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Mayor Mark Messer said Lebanon had sent Flock Safety 54 written questions three weeks earlier but had received no answers, prompting his statement: “A city cannot supervise what it cannot see.”
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Lebanon’s police chief told the council that no city officer had been investigated for misusing Flock data during the previous two years and that Lebanon maintained more safeguards than some other communities.
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The council did not approve an outright termination of the contract: that motion failed on a 4-3 vote, after which members approved the separate motion to pause the program.
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Messer’s concerns were intensified by reports that Flock Safety offered to sell five years of stored camera data to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, raising questions about whether Flock retains data beyond Lebanon’s agreed-upon 30-day period.
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Flock Safety had not immediately responded to a request for comment about why it failed to answer Messer’s letter or whether it intended to address the city’s questions; the police chief also reportedly contacted the company several times before the vote.
Lebanon, Ohio, will cover up all 20 of its Flock license plate cameras after the City Council voted to pause the surveillance program. Dayton Daily News reported that Mayor Mark Messer lost confidence in Flock Safety after the company ignored 54 written questions about data security, hacking risks, and whether images can be changed.
The city will now review whether it can exit the contract without paying steep termination fees. A written recommendation is due to the council by September 22. Messer said the pause was necessary because "a city cannot supervise what it cannot see." Journal-News reported that the council voted 4-3 to reject outright termination before approving the separate pause motion.
Mayor's 54 Unanswered Questions Spark Trust Crisis
Messer sent Flock Safety 54 detailed questions three weeks before the vote. The topics included data retention limits, who can access the images, whether officers can search nationwide, hacking dangers, and whether Flock can alter stored photos. The company never responded. Journal-News reported that Lebanon's police chief also contacted Flock multiple times before the council meeting.
Messer's frustration reflects a broader pattern of silence. Flock Safety did not respond to requests for comment about why it failed to answer the city's letter or whether it plans to address Lebanon's concerns. The lack of transparency pushed even a police chief who defended the program's local safety record to back the pause.
Wisconsin Offer to Sell Five Years of Data Raises Red Flags
Messer's concerns intensified after learning that Flock Safety offered to sell five years of stored camera data to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Lebanon's contract specifies a 30-day data retention period. That deal raised a critical question: Does Flock keep data far longer than cities are told? WPR reported that more than a dozen Wisconsin communities have already disabled Flock cameras and canceled contracts over similar privacy concerns.
The data-sale offer suggests Flock may retain vast historical records even after promising cities their footage will be deleted. This practice could give law enforcement and other agencies access to archived images without city knowledge or consent. The revelation alarmed Lebanon officials and deepened their demand for full transparency.
Other Cities Already Abandoning Flock Over Trust
Lebanon is not alone in rejecting Flock. WSET reported that Charlotte County's Sheriff's Office shut down its entire Flock system, citing trust concerns. KRISTV reported that two Texas cities — Aransas Pass and Ingleside — voted to end their Flock agreements due to privacy worries. Privacy skepticism is spreading across the country.
The pattern suggests that cities are demanding answers Flock cannot or will not provide. Lebanon's police chief confirmed that no city officer had misused Flock data in two years and that Lebanon's safeguards exceeded those of some other communities. Yet that clean record was not enough to overcome the company's refusal to answer basic security questions.
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