Ohio AG weighs in on Flock camera use

SANDUSKY — The state's top law enforcement official recently weighed in on Flock cameras and their uses amid ongoing privacy concerns. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson issued a statement on Wednesday about Flock Safety license plate readers, arguing that the technology can be an important law enforcement tool but that improper use should carry serious consequences. "Misuse of Flock is rare, and breaches should result in serious consequences," Wilson said. "To that end, the Ohio General Assembly should criminalize the misuse of Flock just as it currently criminalizes the misuse of other law enforcement technology." Wilson pointed to unauthorized use of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway — an electronic database that shares criminal justice data between agencies in the state — which carries a fifth-degree felony that requires convicted law enforcement officers to surrender their badges. He stated that it should serve as a potential baseline for lawmakers. Wilson acknowledged recent publicized cases in which officers have misused Flock technology. Among the most notable was the case of Columbus police Officer Melvin Tellis, who was accused of searching the same vehicle's location more than 200 times for, allegedly, reasons not believed to be part of a criminal investigation. That led Columbus to suspend its use of Flock cameras. But Wilson rejected characterizations of license plate readers as surveillance tools. "License plate recognition systems are tools of identification designed to assist in criminal investigations," Wilson said. "They are not tools of surveillance." Local police have cited its use of Flock cameras in helping solve criminal investigations, including when a vehicle rammed into the security gate at Erie County's NASA facility and left the scene. "Ohio can and should leverage technology that assists law enforcement," he added. "We must do so carefully. And misuse must not be tolerated." Proposal would pause Flock use Wilson's statement comes days after state Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, announced the 1984 No More Act, which, if approved, would establish a one-year moratorium on the use of Flock cameras in the state while lawmakers address privacy concerns. The proposal is awaiting a bill number and committee assignment. "While recognizing the clear advantages that Flock cameras provide for law enforcement, many others and I share grave concerns about establishing an infrastructure for a surveillance system capable of stripping the right to privacy from everyday citizens," Click said in announcing the proposal. Click said the moratorium would contain a limited number of exceptions. Those would include using the technology in connection with AMBER Alerts, Silver Alerts, Endangered Missing Child Alerts, Endangered Missing Adult Alerts and Blue Alerts. The proposal would also allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to use the technology to enforce immigration laws. Click announced the legislation on Friday, and it is not yet known when a hearing will be scheduled. License plate readers in Sandusky The debate over automatic license plate readers also has a local connection. Earlier this month, Sandusky city commissioners approved a nearly $162,000 purchase from Axon to install overhead recording devices at select locations across the city under a five-year agreement. The cameras differ from those manufactured by Flock Safety but have automatic license plate reading capabilities and have raised similar privacy concerns. Attached to solar panels, the cameras take still photos of passing vehicles and log vehicle information in a searchable database that can assist law enforcement investigations. Flock cameras are already installed elsewhere in the area. Critics of automatic license plate readers contend the systems can create databases that document the movements of motorists who are not suspected of crimes. Law enforcement officials and other proponents say the cameras provide investigators with information that can help identify suspects, locate vehicles and solve crimes. Other restrictions proposed Click's proposed moratorium is one of several efforts underway in Ohio to restrict the technology. A bipartisan group of lawmakers has called on the Ohio Department of Transportation to remove automated license plate readers from state roads. Ohio state Reps. Tristan Rader, D-Lakewood, Levi Dean, R-Xenia, Darnell Brewer, D-Cleveland, and Justin Pizzulli, R-Scioto County, have joined the effort, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. Dean plans legislation to restrict government use of mass-surveillance tech, generally prohibiting deployment or access to footage without a search warrant. The debate has also become an issue in the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial campaign. Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton supports bipartisan legislation banning Flock cameras statewide, and Libertarian candidate Don Kissick also supports a ban. Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has said he has been discussing the issue with Ohio law enforcement and emphasized both prosecuting crime and respecting constitutional protections. "By and large, Flock is used appropriately and effectively to accomplish a great deal of good," Wilson said. "But, like any other high-tech tool that law enforcement depends on, it is only as effective as the person operating it and interpreting the data."