The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has permanently ended its Flock license-plate reader program, shutting down all 75 cameras spread across the county and its townships.

The sheriff's office announced the termination Friday, Oct. 2, one month after Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey paused the system amid growing resident pushback over data privacy, WLWT reported. The sheriff's office patrols Sycamore Township, and the termination covers every camera in the countywide network.

The office said residents raised concerns about who outside Hamilton County could access locally collected data and how much control the sheriff's office had over that information, WCPO reported. Internal audits found no misuse of the system within the county, the office said.

The sheriff's office said it would not use surveillance technology unless it could guarantee residents' privacy and maintain full local control of the data.

The county partnered with Flock in 2022 after a grant funded the first 25 cameras, according to Major Tony Orue. The network grew to 75 as individual townships and municipalities joined and reimbursed the county. Each camera cost about $3,000 per year, putting the full network's annual price tag at roughly $225,000, according to WLWT.

The sheriff's office said the contract allowed the county to exit without additional cost.

When McGuffey announced the pause on Sept. 3, she framed it as temporary. "I am using the word 'pause.' I'm not canceling the contract," she told reporters at the time, according to WLWT's earlier coverage. A month later, the pause became permanent.

The termination does not affect municipalities that run their own Flock contracts. Madeira City Council voted 5-2 on Jan. 26 to renew its separate agreement with Flock at roughly $61,950 per year, according to council minutes. Councilmembers Logan Junger and Jodi Whitted cast the dissenting votes. Madeira's Law and Safety Committee had Flock cameras on its July 28 agenda, though the outcome of that discussion is not yet public.

Hamilton County joins a growing list of communities that dropped Flock over the summer. Newport, Independence, Fort Mitchell, Erlanger, Fort Thomas, Edgewood, Pierce Township and Oxford all ended their programs.

At the state level, Ohio House Bill 1009 would punish individual officers who misuse license-plate reader systems. No hearing date has been announced, WCPO reported.

Residents with information about crimes in their neighborhoods can contact the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office at 513-825-1500.