Documented Incident
Trenton, Ohio police cut outside agency access to Flock cameras as residents push for ordinance
Event: September 15, 2026 · First reported: September 16, 2026 · 1 source
At a town hall in Trenton, Ohio, Police Chief Patrick Carr defended the city's 11 Flock Safety cameras while announcing the department has cut the number of outside agencies with access to its data by more than half, limiting sharing to agencies within a 50-mile radius and excluding federal agencies from direct access. Carr said the cameras logged roughly 11.7 million plate reads this year and that officers ran about 2,600 searches, each requiring an offense number. Residents questioned whether department policy alone is sufficient, noting Carr acknowledged a future chief could change access settings without City Council approval. Resident Jake Davis submitted a proposed surveillance ordinance covering prior approval, retention limits, audits and public reporting; no formal action was taken at the town hall.
Trenton illustrates the gap between internal department policy and binding local law: restrictions announced by a chief can be reversed by a successor unless codified. The city's decision to shrink its sharing network from more than 1,000 agencies offers a concrete reference point for other communities reviewing ALPR data-sharing defaults.
Key facts
- Trenton operates 11 Flock cameras, which Chief Patrick Carr said recorded approximately 11.7 million license plate reads so far this year, with about 2,600 investigative searches.
- Access was restricted to agencies within a 50-mile radius, eliminating access for more than 1,000 agencies; federal agencies were excluded from direct access.
- Carr confirmed the restrictions are department policy, not city ordinance, and that a chief could alter access settings without advance council approval.
- Resident Jake Davis proposed a surveillance ordinance requiring prior approval, retention and deletion rules, audits and public reporting; Carr said he would consider its language.
- Carr said he planned to raise unanswered questions about data access, retention, security and possible improper access with Flock Safety, with additional town halls expected afterward.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Trenton police tighten access to Flock cameras as residents call for stronger safeguards (WLWT, September 16, 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 16, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.