Documented Incident
Columbus mayor pauses police Flock use after officer allegedly searched one plate 272 times
Event: September 4, 2025 · First reported: September 3, 2026 · 21 sources
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced a temporary pause on the Columbus Division of Police's use of Flock automated license plate reader cameras after reports that an officer ran the same license plate 272 times between November 2023 and December 2024. Police Chief Elaine Bryant identified the officer as Melvin Tellis, who has been relieved of duty pending an investigation; the search count was drawn from a USA Today database compiling records from more than 100 agencies. Ginther said he asked Bryant to bring in an independent third party to audit how the system has been used and to look for other potentially improper searches. The allegations have not been adjudicated, and no findings or discipline have been announced.
Columbus had already adopted shortened data retention, supervisor approval and use restrictions earlier in the year, so a single alleged pattern of repeated searches slipping through raises questions about whether written ALPR policies are matched by auditing capable of catching misuse. How the city's independent audit is scoped and reported will be watched by other jurisdictions weighing similar safeguards.
Key facts
- Officer Melvin Tellis allegedly searched one license plate 272 times over 13 months, from November 2023 to December 2024, according to Chief Elaine Bryant; he has been relieved of duty during the investigation.
- The search figure came from a USA Today database covering more than 100 police agencies, including Columbus.
- Ginther said the incident shook his trust and called for accountability, and requested an independent third-party audit of all Flock usage.
- Earlier policies limited retention to seven days instead of 30, required supervisor access, and barred use for civil immigration enforcement, reproductive health investigations, First Amendment activity and personal purposes; a recent audit reportedly identified more than 15,000 possible immigration-related searches in the Columbus network since 2024.
- Bryant has said Flock cameras contributed to 60% of recent homicide arrests; two bills at the Ohio Statehouse would regulate or restrict the technology, and the People's Justice Project and Abortion Forward have called for the cameras to be removed.
Timeline
- September 3, 2026Columbus pausing Flock program over alleged misuse
- September 3, 2026Ginther suspends Columbus' use of Flock license plate cameras, citing alleged misuse by officer
- September 3, 2026Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims
- September 3, 2026Ginther suspends Columbus' use of Flock license plate cameras, citing officer's alleged misuse
- September 5, 2026Columbus Suspends Flock Camera Program During Investigation into Officer Abuse
- September 3, 2026Columbus to pause Flock camera program after evidence of misuse
- September 4, 2026Columbus covers Flock cameras as officer is probed for alleged license plate reader misuse
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Columbus pausing Flock program over alleged misuse (NBC4 WCMH-TV, September 3, 2026)
- What we know about Columbus pausing Flock program amid misuse allegations (The Columbus Dispatch, September 4, 2026)
- Ginther suspends Columbus' use of Flock license plate cameras, citing alleged misuse by officer (Ideastream Public Media, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther suspends Columbus' use of Flock license plate cameras, citing officer's alleged misuse (WOSU Public Media, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims (myfox28columbus.com, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther suspends Columbus' use of Flock license plate cameras, citing officer's alleged misuse (ideastream.org, September 3, 2026)
- Columbus mayor announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate reader (Headtopics, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims (dayton247now.com, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims (WSYX, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims (cwcolumbus.com, September 3, 2026)
- Columbus Suspends Flock Camera Program During Investigation into Officer Abuse (breitbart.com, September 5, 2026)
- Columbus Suspends Flock Camera Program During Investigation into Officer Abuse (Headtopics, September 5, 2026)
- Columbus to pause Flock camera program after evidence of misuse (The Columbus Dispatch, September 3, 2026)
- Columbus to pause Flock camera program after evidence of misuse (The Columbus Dispatch, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims (myfox28columbus.com, September 3, 2026)
- Columbus covers Flock cameras as officer is probed for alleged license plate reader misuse (WSYX, September 4, 2026)
- Columbus covers Flock cameras as officer is probed for alleged license plate reader misuse (WSYX, September 4, 2026)
- Columbus covers Flock cameras as officer is probed for alleged license plate reader misuse (myfox28columbus.com, September 4, 2026)
- Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims (abc6onyourside.com, September 3, 2026)
- Ginther announces pause in use of CPD's Flock license plate readers amid misuse claims (WKEF, September 4, 2026)
- Columbus covers Flock cameras as officer is probed for alleged license plate reader misuse (cwcolumbus.com, September 5, 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 11, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.