Flock Cameras in Cleveland, Ohio

The short version

Cleveland has about 100 Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras installed across the city. Local reporting says the city signed its first Flock contract in 2022 and began installing cameras in 2023.

The current fight is about whether Cleveland should keep using Flock, and whether it should move toward a larger integrated technology contract. Cleveland City Council file 1367-2025 would authorize the Director of Public Safety to contract with Flock Group, Inc. dba Flock Safety for an integrated technology safety solution for up to three years, with two one-year renewal options.

The proposed three-year cost in the ordinance is $2,026,500: $195,000 for year one and $915,750 per year for years two and three, subject to annual appropriation.

What Cleveland already has

WKYC, Cleveland 19, and cleveland.com all reported in May 2026 that Cleveland currently has about 100 Flock cameras. The cameras read passing vehicle plates and create searchable records showing where and when a vehicle was seen.

Cleveland.com reported that the city's Flock cameras are installed across Cleveland and that the system is used by police as part of investigations. A city question-and-answer sheet described by cleveland.com said Cleveland owns the data captured by Flock and must grant access to outside agencies that request deeper access.

That distinction matters for residents. The public debate is not only about whether a camera can help solve a case. It is about who can search Cleveland's plate data, what gets logged, how long records are kept, and whether city officials will release enough information for the public to audit the system.

The contract before council

Cleveland City Council file 1367-2025 is an emergency ordinance introduced on October 27, 2025 and listed as in committee. The title authorizes a contract with Flock Group, Inc. dba Flock Safety to install, design, implement, test, maintain, and support an integrated technology safety solution, including hardware.

The ordinance says the contract could run for up to three years, with two one-year options to renew that the Director of Public Safety could exercise. It cites Flock's August 28, 2025 proposal and assigns the first-year cost to Fund No. 01-6002-6380.

The legislative summary says the proposed Flock system would go beyond ballistic detection by combining sound detection, video integration, live camera feeds, automated license plate readers, street takeover detection, and vehicle crash detection into a centralized platform.

Why the renewal became political

Cleveland.com reported that Mayor Justin Bibb initially had authority to renew the Flock contract himself but sent the decision to City Council in May 2026. Bibb's letter urged urgency because the existing Flock contract was approaching expiration near the end of June.

Council members quoted by cleveland.com pushed back on the timeline. Public Safety Committee chair Mike Polensek said the process should be transparent, include due diligence, and not be rushed to meet a deadline. Council President Blaine Griffin said the contract would need to go through the committee process.

The result is a messy but useful public record. Instead of a quiet administrative renewal, Cleveland's Flock decision is being forced into a council process where members have to vote in public.

The outside-agency access question

The most concrete transparency issue is access logs. Cleveland.com reported in April 2026 that the city keeps a list of every police department that has searched Cleveland's Flock camera system, but had not released the full list after a public-record request.

A 30-day lookback shared with council showed 228 searches: 71 by Cleveland police and 157 by outside law enforcement agencies. Cleveland.com reported that Beachwood police, Euclid police, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service were among frequent users, and that departments from other states also appeared in the limited window.

Cleveland.com also reported that Flock data is deleted after 30 days by default unless needed as evidence, while outside-agency searches are logged and Cleveland police said those logs are preserved permanently for review and discipline if needed.

Why residents are pushing back

The resident-led campaign Flock No is urging Cleveland officials not to renew the Flock contract. WKYC reported that the group raised concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and impacts on immigrant communities. Cleveland 19 reported similar objections and quoted residents who called the system mass surveillance.

Immigration enforcement is a major theme. Cleveland 19 reported that advocates worried immigration authorities could use Flock data against immigrants in Cleveland. Mayor Bibb acknowledged that Flock systems around the country have been accessed for immigration purposes, while saying Cleveland has additional safeguards and would hold Flock accountable if the relationship continues.

City officials and Flock supporters frame the tool differently. WKYC reported that Bibb called the technology critical for investigating violent crimes, recovering stolen vehicles, and locating missing or endangered people. The legislative summary says the city sees value in an integrated platform that can produce more actionable investigative leads.

What to watch next

The next useful document is not a press quote. It is the actual renewal or replacement agreement, including camera counts, product modules, data-sharing settings, audit-log access, retention language, and whether Cleveland can limit outside-agency access by policy or contract.

Residents should also watch whether council receives the full outside-agency access list, whether the city releases the delayed public records, and whether any final ordinance keeps the same $2,026,500 three-year structure or changes scope after public pushback.

Cleveland is a good example of why Flock coverage has to be city-specific. One city may be debating a simple ALPR renewal. Cleveland is debating an existing 100-camera network, outside-agency searches, immigration safeguards, and a larger integrated Flock platform at the same time.

Sources used

Cleveland City Council, File 1367-2025, ordinance authorizing contract with Flock Group, Inc. dba Flock Safety: https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7714153&GUID=D5D4E9A9-CED2-4198-9998-FCD9349ED5A4&Options=ID%7CText%7CAttachments%7COther%7C&Search=flock

Cleveland City Council attachment, 1367-2025 Prof Serv with Flock Safety for integrated technology safety solution: https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14891313&GUID=79FBD005-692C-43BA-9994-AA5A420EBB92

Cleveland City Council attachment, 1367-2025 legislative summary for contracts with Flock Safety: https://cityofcleveland.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14887673&GUID=89816E79-F658-423D-9BBD-40D31AB1115E

cleveland.com, Mayor Justin Bibb pauses Flock renewal, punts controversial decision to City Council under tight deadline, May 19, 2026: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/05/mayor-justin-bibb-pauses-flock-renewal-punts-controversial-decision-to-city-council-under-tight-deadline.html

cleveland.com, Who's searching Cleveland's Flock cameras? City has a list, and it isn't sharing it, April 2026: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/04/whos-searching-clevelands-flock-cameras-city-has-a-list-and-it-isnt-sharing-it.html

cleveland.com, Cleveland hits pause on expanded Flock contract amid residents pushback, February 27, 2026: https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/02/cleveland-hits-pause-on-expanded-flock-contract-amid-residents-pushback.html

WKYC, Activists call on city of Cleveland to end Flock Safety camera contract as lawmakers consider extension, May 2026: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/cleveland/activists-call-on-cleveland-end-flock-safety-camera-contract-city-council-consider-extension/95-57db274d-0c1e-44b2-9037-32be55a43d91

Cleveland 19, Flock No urges Mayor Bibb, city council to cut the cord with surveillance company, May 20, 2026: https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/05/20/flock-no-urges-mayor-bibb-city-council-cut-cord-with-flock/