Documented Incident
Reynoldsburg, Ohio Ends Flock Camera Use After Officer Misuse Investigations
Event: September 9, 2026 · First reported: September 9, 2026 · 1 source
Reynoldsburg Mayor Joe Begeny announced during a Sept. 9 Facebook livestream that the city would immediately discontinue its use of Flock Safety license plate reading cameras. The decision follows the July resignations of two Reynoldsburg police officers amid investigations into personal use of the Flock network, and comes about a week after Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther paused the Columbus Division of Police's Flock program over misuse allegations. Begeny said the cameras will be covered until they can be removed and declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Reynoldsburg was among the first communities in the Columbus area to adopt Flock in late 2021, and its reversal shows how documented internal misuse — rather than policy debate alone — can drive local governments to end ALPR contracts.
Key facts
- Mayor Joe Begeny announced the immediate end of Reynoldsburg's Flock use on Sept. 9; the city began using the cameras in late 2021.
- Two officers resigned in July during misuse investigations: records obtained by The Dispatch indicate former officer Mark Nichols searched a current or former female partner's name 46 times since 2025, and former officer Alissa Birkhimer searched a license plate 53 times this year.
- Columbus police paused their Flock program roughly a week earlier amid a separate misuse investigation.
- Begeny and Police Chief Curtis Baker had previously defended the system, citing reduced motor vehicle thefts and solved cases at a July 13 City Council meeting.
- Sandra Coates of Deflock Reynoldsburg said the group wants assurances Flock will not be replaced by another vendor and is seeking legislation giving residents input on police surveillance.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Reynoldsburg dropping Flock cameras amid investigations into misuse (The Columbus Dispatch, September 9, 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 September 9, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.