Reynoldsburg ends use of Flock cameras
The short version: Reynoldsburg, Ohio pulled the plug on its Flock Safety ALPR program effective immediately, a rare reversal worth studying as a blueprint.
Our Take
Credit to WBNS 10TV for flagging a story that doesn't happen nearly often enough: a city actually walking back its Flock Safety contract. Most of our coverage here is about departments adding more cameras, expanding networks, or quietly renewing deals with little public debate. Reynoldsburg pulling the plug "effective immediately" is the kind of headline that should make every city council member asking for more ALPRs stop and ask why this one didn't work out.
The report is thin on the specifics of what drove the decision, and we won't speculate beyond what's been reported. But the mere fact that a local government can install this surveillance infrastructure and then decide to shut it off tells you something important: these systems are not permanent fixtures. They're political choices, renewed or rejected on a budget line, a council vote, or public pressure. That means every community currently living under a Flock network has more leverage than they might think.
If you want to know whether your town is one of the thousands quietly running these cameras right now, check our map. And if Reynoldsburg's reversal has you wondering how to push your own city council toward the exit, our take-action page has the tools to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WBNS 10TV, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.