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Brookpark council approves Flock license‑plate cameras after privacy questions
Summary
Council passed an ordinance authorizing purchase and service for Flock license‑plate readers (equipment ~$25,750; annual service ~$24,000) and said grant application for equipment reimbursement depends on passage; residents and council members raised privacy and data‑storage concerns.
Brookpark’s council voted Nov. 5 to authorize a contract with Flock for license‑plate reader cameras and services that city officials said will expand a camera network and support law‑enforcement alerts and traffic monitoring.
Mayor Orcutt said the ordinance is time‑sensitive because it will allow the police chief to apply for state grant funding to reimburse equipment costs. He told council the package before them covered equipment (about $25,750) and an annual service charge of about $24,000; he also said the purchase would be in addition to an existing set of cameras and fees the city already pays.
Council members probed how the cameras operate. Councilman Troyer and others asked whether the devices record intersections or only license plates; the mayor and staff answered that the system is configured to read license plates and that alerts for wanted plates route through dispatch. The mayor said the system is intended for traffic‑flow purposes and to help locate vehicles tied to crimes or active alerts, and he rejected a “Big Brother” use of the system.
During public comment, residents expressed mixed views. Albert Wolf said license‑plate readers have proven useful in recovering missing children and locating vehicles tied to investigations. A resident who identified themself as living in Ward 1 warned the council that, “Every single car that goes by a flock camera is recorded and stored in a database,” and urged officials to review papers from groups including the ACLU and academic studies about civil‑liberties risks.
Council moved the ordinance to the council agenda at caucus and later adopted it under suspension of rules (ordinance 11505‑2025). Council members said the law department should examine and confirm the final payer/service agreement and operational details before full implementation.
The ordinance authorizes the mayor to enter a contract with Flock (license‑plate reader cameras) and declares an emergency so the city can pursue grant opportunities and deploy equipment; the council recorded roll‑call support.
