Oxford City Council votes to terminate Flock contract

The city council also adopted two resolutions focusing on parking and updates to the Oxford Community Park

The Oxford City Council voted 6-1 during its Aug. 18 meeting to terminate the city’s contract with Flock Safety, ending its use of the company’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras amid concerns over privacy and the potential misuse of collected data.

The city council also approved the sale of 77 parking spaces to Miami University and accepted funds to create a new synthetic field at the Oxford Community Park.

City’s decision on Flock contract 

Following a series of recommendations sent by the Oxford Police Department (OPD) and the Oxford Police Community Relations and Review Commission, the Oxford City Council was faced with a resolution aimed at continuing the contract with these additional recommendations during a regular meeting on Aug. 18. 

After discussion, city councilors voted 5-2 to amend the resolution to change the wording from “maintain” to “terminate.” 

The city council voted 6-1 on the amended resolution, terminating the contract with Flock.  

Councilor Bill Snavely said while he has trust in the OPD, the issues of misuse documented around the country were too large to ignore.

“I have no doubt that Chief Jones and other members of the (Oxford) Police Department would not abuse this system and I don’t think that is what’s at stake or under discussion tonight,” Snavely said. “I am especially concerned about a mass surveillance program that makes me think of Big Brother in ‘1984.’”

Snavely added that while he believes the recommendations were well thought out and created with “good intent,” he worried other agencies in and around Oxford may misuse the OPD’s collected data.

“I wouldn’t doubt that a sheriff or some other person of respectability in law enforcement might get our data to share it … with somebody like ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” Snavely said. “Because of that possibility, I don’t know how we could make any other decision.”

Councilor Jim Vinch said while a court hasn’t ruled that Flock cameras violate citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights, Oxford residents believe Flock’s system violates a moral standard set by Oxford residents. 

“I think the Constitution sets a bare minimum standard (and) we’re allowed to set our own moral standards that are higher than the Constitution,” Vinch said. “I believe that Flock sort of violates a higher moral standard that we all hold ourselves to (in Oxford).”

Councilor Jason Bracken said while he has the same fears about misuse of data collected by Oxford’s Flock cameras, he also fears what would happen if these cameras couldn’t be used to help the OPD catch a suspect.

“We’re going to hear about every story that comes out across the country because this is shocking and scary to our civil rights,” Bracken said. “Meanwhile, we don’t hear about every time Flock solves a crime.”

Oxford Police Chief John Jones said he would like to have a larger conversation about police and surveillance technology, as the OPD uses similar technology in other facets of its operations, such as body cams or police reports, which have all their data stored by private companies.

Oxford Mayor Mike Smith said he trusts the OPD using the Flock system, but he doesn’t trust the company.

Smith said that when the city first implemented the cameras in 2024, “it seemed like a relatively simple thing to do … and now we find ourselves a part of a nationwide network. I don’t think we signed up for that.”

Smith said he preferred to terminate the contract with Flock and wait for some more legislative guidelines in the future.

Oxford Vice Mayor Alex French said she can see the good Flock cameras can do, but also the possible negatives it can create. 

“If we want to maintain a useful tool for our officers that ALPR (cameras) are, we don’t have an alternative that’s not some sort of networked entity,” French said. 

French added that recently a family member of hers was in a hit-and-run car accident and the offender was found using Flock cameras. 

“In the short-term, hearing my own family’s case being solved by Flock cameras (and) other cases being solved by Flock cameras,” French said, “I have a hard time looking at OPD and saying, ‘No, you can’t have that.’”

French suggested that utilizing the proposed recommendations brought to the city council would be a decent short-term option. 

The City of Oxford has already paid $48,000 for its Flock cameras for the year, with the contract ending in February 2027.

Construction parking

In other news, the city council adopted a resolution allowing Miami to purchase 77 parking spots along the east side of South Campus Avenue between East Spring and East Chestnut streets from Aug. 24 to Dec. 11.

Due to Miami’s construction projects this fall at Cook Field and on East Spring and Oak streets, several parking lots will be closed, deeming the need for additional parking. The purchased spots will be used by Miami faculty and staff.

Additionally, Miami will be responsible for covering the city’s parking kiosks and other city parking signage in the area until the agreement ends on Dec. 11, according to the city staff report. 

After a review of the request by city staff, each spot will incur a daily fee of $12, totalling $101,640 during the fall semester.

New Field at Oxford Community Park

The city council voted to adopt a resolution that will accept $250,000 in funds from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to create a new synthetic field at the Oxford Community Park, 6801 Fairfield Road. 

The new field “will allow for year-round play and a quicker turn around for play after inclement weather … as the synthetic surface will not require a rest period as natural turf does,” according to the city staff report. “This improvement will increase the opportunities for competition and provide needed flexibility during baseball, softball, soccer and flag football seasons, as well as for reserved tournaments and matches at the location.”

The Oxford City Council will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 at the Oxford Courthouse, 118 W. High St.