Broken Bow, Nebraska council to consider ordinance requiring approval for ALPR cameras

First reported: August 11, 2026 · 3 sources

The Broken Bow City Council scheduled a public hearing on Ordinance 1315, which would bar the installation, operation, or maintenance of automated license plate reader systems and similar devices inside city limits unless the council grants express prior permission. The measure also lays out definitions, an application and review process, enforcement, penalties, a severability clause, and an effective date. Council members were set to consider waiving the customary three readings and adopting the ordinance the same night. A separate nine-page ordinance on data centers and digital asset mining operations, plus a 'tiny homes' measure, were also on the agenda after starting with the Planning Commission.

Why this matters

Rather than approving or rejecting a specific vendor, the proposal would create a standing local permission requirement for any ALPR deployment — an approach smaller municipalities elsewhere may look to as camera networks expand.

Key facts

Ordinance 1315 would prohibit ALPR and similar camera systems within Broken Bow city limits without express prior council approval.
The ordinance includes application and review procedures, enforcement mechanisms, penalties, and an effective date.
Council was scheduled to hold a public hearing and consider waiving three readings for immediate adoption; the outcome is not reported here.
A separate ordinance (1317) on data centers and digital asset mining was on the same agenda, with conditional use permits, noise limits, water and cooling restrictions, and setback requirements.
The agenda also listed an update from Police Chief Chris Anderson, though the article does not describe its content.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Data centers, Flock style cameras among topics on Broken Bow City Council agenda (Sandhills Express, August 11, 2026)
Broken Bow City Council Take Steps to Limit Flock Cameras, Data Centers, More at Tuesday Evening Meeting (Sandhills Express, August 12, 2026)
Broken Bow takes steps to address Flock Cameras, future Data Centers (Metro News Channel Nebraska, August 12, 2026)

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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 August 15, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.