Cleveland weighs keeping Flock Safety license-plate cameras online longer
Cleveland OH – After Flock Safety’s contract expired June 29, the city kept license-plate cameras running temporarily through July 15. Council action is pending.
Cleveland’s license-plate reader cameras from Flock Safety have stayed operating after the prior contract expired on June 29, 2026, with a temporary extension scheduled to run through July 15. On July 7, Cleveland City Council’s Safety Committee advanced Emergency Ordinance 683-2026—but the ordinance still needs full Council approval to become official.
The timeline: June 29 expiration, July 15 cutoff, and July 7 committee review
WOIO/Cleveland 19 reported that Flock agreed to keep the system up and running temporarily after the June 29 expiration, through July 15. If the contract isn’t extended by then, the cameras could go dark.
Separately, Legistar’s meeting record shows that Ordinance 683-2026 was on the Safety Committee agenda for July 7, 2026, and that committee minutes and action-results were not finalized/available at the time the record was viewed.
What the contract/ordinance would do (and what was amended)
Ordinance file 683-2026 is an emergency measure that would authorize the Director of Public Safety to enter one or more contracts with Flock Group, Inc. dba Flock Safety for the Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) solution used by the Division of Police for a period of time, including annual license and maintenance/software support.
Before amendment: the initial ordinance documents describe a one-year contract with a cost cap of not to exceed $250,000.
After amendment (desk copy prepared for the July 15, 2026 meeting): the desk copy reflects changes to make the term six (6) months and the cost cap $125,000. It also adds explicit limits on data selling/sharing and requires a public-facing Transparency Portal.
Safeguards Cleveland says are built into the system
In a city presentation dated June 16, 2026, Cleveland’s Division of Police described how the ALPR system works and what it does and does not do. The presentation says the system:
- captures license plate numbers and vehicle characteristics, including time, date, and location,
- does not record audio,
- does not use facial recognition, and
- does not identify drivers or passengers.
The presentation also says the data is “typically” retained for 30 days unless tied to an investigation, and that searches are logged and limited to trained/authorized personnel.
Where the debate landed: public safety benefits vs. privacy and data-sharing risk
Safety Director Wayne Drummond told council in earlier questioning that losing the technology would be “very crippling,” citing ongoing cases the department said rely on the tool.
But privacy and civil-liberties advocates warned about how the technology could function as part of a broader surveillance network. In written public comment for Ordinance 683-2026, the ACLU of Ohio urged council to opt out of nationwide data-sharing if the contract is renewed, and pushed for tighter retention limits (among other requests).
What changed after July 7: committee advanced a compromise
Spectrum News 1 reported that the Safety Committee advanced the legislation with a 5-2 vote, and said the measure was amended to extend the current arrangement for another six months and to add provisions that would fine Flock for selling or sharing Cleveland’s data. Spectrum also reported that in November, Cleveland police said they blocked immigration searches, and that the city later said it would no longer share data with the nationwide network that allows opt-in searches by other agencies.
What residents should watch next before the July 15 window ends
The practical takeaway is timing: the system is not “permanent on” yet—WOIO reported the temporary continuation is tied to the July 15 window. If full Council doesn’t approve Ordinance 683-2026 in time, the cameras could go off.
Before then, readers can focus on the specific text changes in the ordinance desk copy—especially the provisions that prohibit selling/sharing data outside law enforcement purposes, narrow disclosures to data produced through a valid search warrant, and set a financial penalty up to 25% of the contract amount for violations of privacy and data-sharing provisions.
Sources
- Cleveland19 (WOIO): cameras stay on until July 15
- Cleveland City Council Legistar: Ordinance 683-2026 desk copy (as amended)
- Spectrum News 1: committee vote and amendment summary
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