A regional retreat from license-plate surveillance is gaining momentum in Greater Cincinnati.
With Independence, Kentucky, preparing to remove its Flock Safety cameras, Fort Mitchell and Oxford are no longer the only local cities backing away from the system. In several communities across the region and the rest of the country, residents and leaders are pressing for a different balance among policing tools, privacy, and public trust.
Here’s what to know
Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman said in an August 24 press release that the city will begin removing its Flock cameras. That makes the city the latest in the region, after Fort Mitchell and Oxford, to end a Flock program.
In the statement from Reinersman’s office, he wrote, “After much consideration, I have decided to move forward with the removal of all Flock Safety cameras in the City of Independence… While I personally continue to believe the cameras can be a valuable and appropriate law enforcement tool, I also believe strongly that elected officials must respect the will of the people they represent.”…