Oxford City Council discusses Flock cameras

Oxford Police Chief John Jones gave a presentation on Flock cameras in the city and how they are used by the Oxford Police Department (OPD) during an Oxford City Council meeting on June 16. The presentation came after members of the city council and the public voiced concern over OPD’s contract with Flock.

The city of Oxford currently has 14 Flock cameras that capture still photos of license plate data when a car goes by on a public road. This data is stored for 30 days on a server before it is permanently deleted.

Oxford owns all the data the cameras collect, although Flock does have limited access for maintenance purposes so the company can verify all cameras are operational. The image data captured is used to help build investigative leads, particularly in cases of theft or vehicle collisions.

Jones said some information circulating about Flock cameras is incorrect. Flock cameras do not capture an image of the driver, provide information on who is in the car or allow for real-time tracking of individuals.

“(I) can't determine the driver, I can't determine the number of occupants, I can't tell what race the occupants are, can't tell what country they're from,” Jones said. “It's literally the most objective data possible that officers use when we're developing leads.”

Oxford has an open sharing policy with 2,215 state and local police departments across the U.S., meaning these departments can search images in Oxford’s database when looking for a car. Jones said this is important because people don’t necessarily stay in one place, and if someone commits a crime in Oxford and leaves, their car may show up on Flock cameras in neighboring areas like Trenton, Hamilton and Cincinnati. 

OPD does not share Flock data with government agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Additionally, OPD has parameters on what constitutes reasonable grounds for a Flock search. Oxford’s Flock cameras cannot be used for investigations regarding immigration activity or reproductive health.

Councilor Amber Franklin said she was concerned about how Flock might work under House Bill 26, a bill that would require local law enforcement to comply with federal immigration enforcement requests. If passed, the OPD may be forced to turn over Flock data to ICE.

Several Oxford residents brought up concerns about the open sharing policy OPD maintains, citing fears of misuse by other police departments.

“I understand that there is a balance, always, between security and safety, and that we need to find that balance.” Kevin Reuning, a Miami University professor and Oxford resident, said. “I just wonder if Flock is going too far in the wrong direction.” 

During the meeting, Mayor Michael Smith gave a proclamation declaring the month of June to be Pride Month. 

“Oxford is home to a vibrant and diverse LGBTQ+ community that enriches the city through its leadership, service, entrepreneurship, faith communities, scholarship, and civic engagement,” Smith said in his proclamation.

Megan Kuykendoll, president of Oxford’s PFLAG chapter, accepted a physical copy of the proclamation on behalf of the city’s residents. 

“It's really meaningful to have this support at the city level,” Kuykendoll said. “Thank you all for this moment today, and thank you to those who are present to acknowledge it, because when we have an opportunity to celebrate, we need to take it.”

The council also voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the city manager to apply for a loan for the construction of the new water softening facility. The city will borrow $19,988,616 from the water supply revolving loan account of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance.

The Oxford City Council will meet again at 7:30 p.m. on July 7 at the Oxford City Courthouse, 118 W. High St.