Gov. Kehoe issues executive order on automatic license plate readers, including Flock cameras

Our Take

Credit to Sarah Cummings and KRCG 13 for getting cameras rolling at the Missouri capitol the same day Gov. Mike Kehoe put his name on an executive order touching automatic license plate readers, Flock included. Executive orders on surveillance tech are usually a mixed bag: they can signal that officials finally see the problem, or they can be a paper tiger that leaves data-sharing, retention windows, and vendor contracts almost untouched. Until Missourians can read the actual order text and see how it's enforced, healthy skepticism is the right posture.

What matters here isn't the press conference, it's the mechanics: who can query the data, how long Flock and its law enforcement partners hold onto scans, whether ICE or other agencies outside Missouri can tap into that feed, and who's auditing any of it. Executive orders can be reversed by the next governor with a signature, so this shouldn't be mistaken for a durable legal limit on plate surveillance. Real accountability comes from statute, local council votes, and public pressure, not a single order that can quietly gather dust.

If you're in Missouri or anywhere else wondering how many of these cameras are already watching your commute, check our map and see what's mounted near you. And if you want to push your own city council or state legislature toward real guardrails instead of a headline moment, our take-action page has the tools to get started.