Documented Incident
Dayton says two Flock cameras were returned to service without city authorization
Event: September 17, 2025 · First reported: October 2, 2026 · 4 sources
The city of Dayton said Tuesday that two Flock Safety cameras were put back into service without city approval after officials had paused the program weeks earlier. According to the city, a resident reported one reinstalled camera, and city staff learned on Sept. 17 that a Flock maintenance work order had been issued, then told Flock on Sept. 18 that no work orders should be completed while the program was on hold. The city said its direction was not followed and that a subsequent review of camera locations turned up a second reinstalled camera. Dayton said police have been notified and both cameras will be removed.
The episode raises questions about whether local governments can reliably enforce a pause or shutdown of surveillance equipment operated by a private vendor, a control issue relevant to any community weighing an automated license plate reader contract.
Key facts
- Dayton announced Tuesday that two Flock cameras were returned to service without city authorization.
- City staff said they learned of a Flock maintenance work order on Sept. 17 and told the company on Sept. 18 that the program was on hold.
- A community member's report led the city to check camera sites, where a second reinstalled camera was found.
- The city said police were notified and that both cameras would be removed.
- The account comes from the city's social media post; Flock Safety's response was not included in the report.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Dayton Flock cameras reinstalled without city approval, police notified (5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, October 2, 2026)
- City of Dayton says Flock reinstalled camera after program put on hold (kare11.com, September 30, 2026)
- Flock cameras reinstalled in Dayton despite city officials telling them not to (fox9.com, October 1, 2026)
- Dayton Says Flock Cameras Were Reinstalled Without Approval (Newsbreak, October 1, 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 October 5, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.