Major Retailers Deploy Flock Safety License Plate Readers in Ohio

Major retailers including Walmart, Lowe’s, Costco, Home Depot, and Target have deployed automated license plate readers from Flock Safety at various locations across Ohio. The companies are using the technology to combat retail theft and fraud by recording vehicle details and alerting security or law enforcement when flagged vehicles are detected.

Privacy advocates and the Dayton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have raised concerns regarding a lack of transparency and the potential for data misuse. Internal records reveal that local police departments in cities such as Beavercreek, Lebanon, Miamisburg, and Springfield have access to ALPR databases maintained by Lowe's and Home Depot.

These concerns follow a recent incident in Dayton, where the city suspended its own fixed-point ALPRs after disclosing that outside agencies used the data for immigration-related searches. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio has specifically flagged the risk of unregulated government access to surveillance data first obtained via these private non-government sources.