Documented Incident
Ironton, Ohio council member drafts ordinance barring city contracts with mass surveillance camera firms
First reported: July 15, 2026 · 1 source
Ironton City Councilman Troy Scott is drafting an ordinance that would bar the city from contracting with companies operating mass surveillance camera networks, including automated license plate readers such as those sold by Flock Safety. Scott said he pursued the measure preemptively, citing privacy, data security and the risk of residents being wrongly accused of crimes; the draft would not apply to private businesses. He said the proposal was discussed at a recent strategic planning meeting attended by Mayor Sam Cramblit, Police Chief Pam Wagner and other council members, and that a first reading was expected at the July 23 council meeting. The ordinance had not been enacted as of the report.
Most municipal ALPR debates begin after a system is already installed; Ironton's draft would act before any contract exists, and if passed it would be among the first explicit Ohio bans on such agreements.
Key facts
- Councilman Troy Scott is drafting the ordinance; it would prohibit city contracts with mass surveillance camera providers but not restrict private businesses
- First reading was expected at the July 23 city council meeting; the measure had not yet been adopted
- Scott said the mayor, police chief and fellow council members gave input on the draft and that he was confident of passage
- Cleveland officials were separately weighing an extension of their Flock Safety contract with added privacy safeguards, according to the report
- Privacy advocates have raised questions about data retention periods, who can access ALPR records, and use beyond criminal investigations
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Ironton moves to ban Flock surveillance camera contracts (The American Bazaar, July 15, 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 10, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.