Documented Incident
Akron police oversight board authorizes independent audit of city's Flock ALPR program
Event: September 16, 2026 · First reported: September 18, 2026 · 4 sources
On Sept. 16, 2026, Akron's police oversight board voted unanimously to authorize Independent Police Auditor Anthony Finnell to review the Akron Police Department's Flock automated license plate reader network, including every search and query run by APD users from Jan. 1, 2024 through Aug. 31, 2026. A 42-page records request sent to Police Chief Brian Harding on Sept. 17 seeks documents on the program's authorization, acquisition and governance, a full inventory of ALPR devices, data-sharing agreements, and a list of everyone with system access. Finnell set a Nov. 6 deadline for priority records and Dec. 15 for the remainder, and asked APD to preserve data that might otherwise be automatically deleted.
The review pairs a governance assessment with transaction-level testing of individual searches, an approach that could serve as a template for other cities seeking to verify how their ALPR systems are actually used. Its findings have not been issued, and the audit's scope and deadlines are requests to the department rather than established conclusions.
Key facts
- Oversight board vote was unanimous on Sept. 16, 2026; audit covers APD Flock searches from Jan. 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2026.
- Finnell said the review will examine legal and policy compliance, authorized use, privacy and civil-rights protections, access controls, data sharing, alert verification, supervisory oversight and operational effectiveness.
- Records deadlines requested: top-priority documents by Nov. 6, all others by Dec. 15.
- City officials have said the cameras are an effective investigative tool, citing missing persons and homicide cases, and that they are used strictly as license plate readers.
- Ohio gubernatorial candidates have weighed in: Democrat Amy Acton backed a total ban on Flock cameras, and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy said the technology could lead to a "Chinese-style surveillance state."
Timeline
- September 18, 2026Independent police auditor to investigate Akron's Flock camera usage
- September 19, 2026Independent police auditor to investigate Akron's Flock camera usage
- September 19, 2026Independent police auditor to investigate Akron's Flock camera usage
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Independent police auditor to investigate Akron's Flock camera usage (Akron Beacon Journal, September 18, 2026)
- Independent police auditor to investigate Akron's Flock camera usage (Newsbreak, September 19, 2026)
- Independent police auditor to investigate Akron's Flock camera usage (Lexington Herald Leader, September 18, 2026)
- Independent police auditor to investigate Akron's Flock camera usage (Akron Beacon Journal, September 19, 2026)
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About this record
BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated September 21, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.