Cleveland City Council Extends Flock Safety Contract With Privacy Limits

The Cleveland City Council voted 9-6 to renew its contract with Flock Safety through December 29, extending the operation of 100 license plate reader cameras across the city for six months at a cost of $125,000. The decision follows the expiration of the previous contract on June 29 and shortens an original one-year proposal to allow the city to research alternative products and best practices.

To address privacy concerns regarding reproductive rights and immigration enforcement, the city implemented an ordinance prohibiting outside agencies from accessing camera data without a warrant. Public Safety Director Wayne Drummond announced that the city has shut off national lookup access, ensuring only Cleveland law enforcement has open access to the data. This restricts the Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center from accessing the captured information.

Police Chief Dorothy Todd advocated for the technology, noting that the system helped find suspects in 25 of the city's 53 homicides year-to-date in 2026. Councilman Michael Polensek supported the extension to prevent law enforcement capabilities from going dark. However, the vote revealed a geographic divide, with most West Side members opposing the measure. Councilmember Tanmay Shah and the group FlockNO criticized the system as an invasive surveillance tool that poses risks to immigrant communities.