Cleveland's Community Police Committee is asking residents whether the city should keep Flock license plate readers, a technology that photographs passing vehicles. Commissioner Shandra Moriera-Benito said options range from limits to an outright ban, according to Signal Cleveland.
The police division operates 100 Flock cameras in busy areas. It stopped allowing law enforcement agencies across the country to search stored images in July after community criticism. Cleveland Metropolitan School District recently chose not to renew its Flock contract, pointing to privacy and cost. City Council extended the city's Flock contract for six months in the summer while requiring Cleveland to solicit bids from other vendors.
Police and prosecutors say the cameras help locate missing people, recover stolen vehicles and identify or exclude suspects. City officials cite homicide cases aided by the technology, but the source reports no established count of crimes solved because of it. Critics say capturing every vehicle allows tracking people not suspected of crimes and raises risks of misuse or immigration-related access.
The commission approved a reader policy in 2025. At its September meeting it resolved that the police division should stop using the cameras on Jan. 1 while it decides whether to revise the rules. The city did not say whether it considers the moratorium enforceable, the source reported.
Residents can complete an online survey and apply by Nov. 5 for focus groups on Nov. 14, one on the East Side and one on the West Side. Community groups may submit statements by Nov. 16, the survey deadline. The commission also plans expert and official meetings before drafting a new policy.