Madeira renewed its contract with Flock Group Inc. for license plate reader cameras in January, even as a growing number of Ohio cities have suspended or canceled their agreements with the surveillance company over privacy and data-sharing concerns.
The Madeira City Council approved the renewal 5-2 on Jan. 26, with council members Logan Junger and Jodi Whitted voting no. The contract covers roughly $61,950 per year: $51,000 for the existing system and $10,950 for three additional cameras.
"If we cannot get Flock to accept liability, it leaves us vulnerable," Junger said during the January meeting. "I am not comfortable approving this resolution without protection for the city."
Madeira first installed the cameras in 2023. The system reads license plates and can identify vehicle characteristics like bumper stickers or mismatched paint but does not use facial recognition. Police Chief David Schaefer confirmed the department has not shared data with any federal agencies, and the city does not participate in Flock's national data-sharing database.
The city negotiated a contract addendum to strengthen privacy protections, according to the council packet. Madeira's Law and Safety Committee had Flock cameras on its July 28 agenda.
Statewide scrutiny intensifies
The renewed local attention comes as Flock cameras face mounting criticism across Ohio. Columbus pulled out of the national Flock data-sharing network in July, and Mayor Andrew Ginther halted statewide sharing. Columbus City Council held a six-hour public hearing on Aug. 11, where public comment ran overwhelmingly in favor of removing the cameras.
Dayton suspended its entire Flock program after a review found its 72 cameras were involved in what officials called "egregious" data-sharing violations, including 7,100 searches logged for immigration-related reasons.
Nationally, more than 50 agencies or jurisdictions have canceled, suspended or rejected Flock contracts since the beginning of 2026, according to a DeFlock tracker reported by CNET. The Washington Post found nearly 50 instances of officers charged or accused of using the cameras for unauthorized purposes, including tracking romantic partners, as reported by LiveNow from Fox.
New company guardrails
Flock Safety announced new privacy policies on Thursday, Aug. 13, including cutting its default data retention from 30 days to seven, requiring case codes for all law enforcement searches and introducing automatic account lockouts for abnormal search behavior. The company will also let cities block outside agencies from searching their data for certain offense types, such as immigration enforcement.
The ACLU called the updates a "thinly veiled PR attempt" rather than an earnest effort to address concerns, according to The Hill.
Hamilton defends its cameras
In nearby Hamilton, which operates 27 active Flock cameras, Assistant Chief of Police Brian Robinson defended the technology in an Aug. 3 interview with Local 12. Robinson said no Hamilton officers have been investigated for misusing the data and that the department conducts at least 60 audits from police leadership.
That's notable context for Madeira residents.
Hamilton's newly released procedure manual states data is stored for 30 days, and agencies within 50 miles are automatically approved for vehicle searches. Federal access requires approval from the chief of police, and the department does not partner with ICE.
Gov. Mike DeWine defended the technology on Aug. 12, saying the system should not be scrapped over isolated misuse. Madeira residents who want to weigh in can contact the city's Law and Safety Committee through the city clerk's office.
