The City of Fort Mitchell is dropping Flock cameras as Flock Safety faces widespread criticism
The short version: Fort Mitchell's apparent retreat from Flock Safety cameras shows that local pushback on ALPR surveillance can actually move city hall.
Our Take
Credit to The Working Lunch for digging into a story that deserves more attention: a Kentucky city reportedly stepping back from Flock Safety's license plate reader network as scrutiny of the company mounts nationwide. We don't have the full paper trail on Fort Mitchell's decision, but the broader pattern is unmistakable — city councils that once rubber-stamped these contracts are now fielding hard questions about cost, data retention, and who actually gets access to the millions of plate scans these cameras generate.
That's the real story here. Flock's pitch to small towns is always the same: easy crime-solving, minimal oversight required. What rarely gets mentioned upfront is the audit trail (or lack of one), the potential for law enforcement in other states to query local data, and the fact that these systems track everyone, not just suspects. When a city like Fort Mitchell reconsiders, it's a signal that elected officials are starting to feel the heat from residents who don't want their daily movements logged by default.
If you want to see whether cameras like these are already watching your commute, check our camera map, and if your town is debating a Flock contract, our take-action resources can help you show up prepared.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of The Working Lunch, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.