Webster Groves Council Questions Police Chief on Flock Data Sharing and ICE Access

Event: September 16, 2026 · First reported: October 21, 2026 · 1 source

At a Tuesday council meeting, Webster Groves, Missouri council members pressed Police Chief Vincent Acevez about automated license plate reader data leaving city control as the department seeks to add Flock cameras. Acevez described the cameras as an investigative tool, said images carry no names or birth dates, that local footage is deleted within 30 days absent an active investigation, and that officer searches are audited at least monthly. He also told the council the city is required under state law to provide Flock data to a federal agency that requests it, while saying Webster Groves police do not assist ICE with immigration enforcement. Council members including Leanne Waugh, Emily Hixson Shepherd, and Jamie Hasemeier questioned whether local safeguards or audits can detect misuse once data is shared with other departments.

Why this matters

The exchange highlights a recurring gap in ALPR oversight: a city can set retention and audit rules for its own officers but has limited visibility into how shared data is used elsewhere. How Webster Groves resolves that question may inform other municipalities weighing participation in nationwide camera networks.

Key facts

Chief Vincent Acevez said Flock images include no names or birth dates, local footage is deleted within 30 days unless retained for an investigation, and officer searches are audited at least monthly.
Acevez said state law requires the city to provide Flock data to a federal agency that requests it, while stating local police do not help ICE enforce immigration law.
The article reports Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 26-18 on September 16, 2026, setting minimum ALPR standards including 30-day deletion, a ban on integrating facial recognition, and a prohibition on data monetization.
St. Charles County canceled its Flock contract and removed all 28 cameras in August after an audit found a civilian employee ran more than 200 personal searches over three years, leading to misdemeanor charges.
A former Joplin officer was charged in September with four counts of misuse of official information over 22 alleged unauthorized database checks; in Brentwood, prosecutors found an officer's improper Flock access during a divorce did not violate criminal law.
Flock says customers control sharing settings; the article notes this does not establish Webster Groves' specific settings or whether federal immigration agencies accessed city data.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Webster Groves Council Presses Police Chief Over Flock Cameras, ICE Fears (Hoodline, October 21, 2026)

More from Missouri

Everything we have documented in Missouri, or search every Missouri article in the archive.

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 22, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.