Documented Incident
Lebanon, Ohio council votes to cover all 20 Flock cameras while it weighs contract's future
Event: September 8, 2026 · First reported: September 9, 2026 · 2 sources
Lebanon City Council agreed on Tuesday to begin placing covers over the city's 20 Flock automated license plate readers starting Wednesday, following concerns raised by Mayor Mark Messer. In an open letter posted to Facebook before the meeting, Messer cited reporting on security defects in Flock hardware and the company's retention of camera data for up to five years, and said he sent the company 54 questions last month without receiving a response. Police Chief Jeffrey Mitchell told council there was no indication the system had been misused, describing it as an investigative tool used in cases such as missing persons. The vote does not cancel the city's contract with Flock; staff were directed to examine what ending it would involve, with the matter returning to council on Sept. 22.
Lebanon's step shows a city pausing an ALPR program over unanswered vendor questions rather than any alleged local misconduct, a distinction other councils weighing similar contracts may look to.
Key facts
- City council agreed Tuesday to cover all 20 Flock cameras beginning Wednesday.
- Mayor Mark Messer said he sent Flock 54 questions last month and had not received a reply.
- Messer cited reported security defects and data retention of up to five years as concerns.
- Police Chief Jeffrey Mitchell said there is no indication the system has been misused.
- The motion does not terminate the Flock contract; council revisits the issue Sept. 22.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- City of Lebanon to cover all Flock cameras in city limits, 'no indication' of misuse by officers (wlwt.com, September 9, 2026)
- Lebanon City Council pauses use of all 20 Flock Safety cameras (Whio News Center Seven, September 10, 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 23, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.