Columbus Flock audit puts police data-sharing rules under scrutiny

Columbus has halted statewide sharing of data from its Flock automatic license-plate-reader network after a police audit flagged as many as 15,577 searches that may have involved immigration-related purposes.

Mayor Andrew Ginther ordered the Columbus Division of Police to stop statewide sharing for the cameras after the audit was released. The restriction affects access by other Ohio agencies through the statewide sharing feature. It is not a shutdown or cancellation of Columbus’s Flock camera program.

What the audit found

The audit summary identified searches of Columbus police camera data that were categorized as potentially related to immigration enforcement. The figure is significant, but it is not the same as 15,577 confirmed immigration-enforcement actions, and it does not establish that every search violated city policy.

According to WOSU‘s report on the audit, Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not directly access Columbus cameras. The review did identify searches involving the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol and other federal agencies, as well as agencies with agreements under the federal 287(g) program. That program can delegate certain immigration-enforcement powers to state or local law-enforcement agencies.

WOSU reported that 20 of the searches that may have been immigration-related originated from Columbus police. The report also identified four Ohio sheriff’s offices with both Flock contracts and 287(g) agreements with ICE: the Butler County, Lake County, Portage County and Warren County sheriff’s offices. The presence of a search in the audit does not by itself show who intended to use the information or whether the search violated Columbus policy.

Ginther has ordered an investigation into possible misuse within the police division. The audit, the continuing investigation and any future discipline or policy changes are separate matters; no final findings or disciplinary actions are established by the reported search count alone.

Public hearing scheduled for August 10

Columbus City Council’s Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee has scheduled a public hearing on the audit for 4 p.m. Monday, August 10, at City Hall. Council member Emmanuel Remy, who requested the audit and chairs the committee, will host the hearing. The city has invited representatives of Flock Safety to answer questions.

Residents who want to provide written or in-person testimony should email pdmejia@columbus.gov by noon on August 10, according to WOSU’s report on the hearing. Speakers generally receive three minutes at a Council meeting. Because the referenced Council information page was not accessible during verification, residents should confirm any updated instructions with Columbus City Council before submitting testimony.

Why the camera program is under review

Columbus City Council approved a two-year, $228,000 contract with Flock Group in December 2024. The legislation authorized the Division of Police to lease 38 fixed license-plate readers. The ordinance said the cameras would help SWAT and investigative detectives gather evidence about people suspected of homicides, felonious assaults and other major crimes.

That public-safety purpose is now being weighed against questions about privacy, outside access and oversight. The central issue for the August hearing is not only whether searches were labeled correctly, but whether Columbus had adequate controls to prevent city data from being used for purposes prohibited by local policy.

Residents should watch for additional audit details, explanations of which agencies searched the network and any changes Council considers after the hearing. The statewide sharing restriction is an immediate change, but the broader rules governing Columbus’s Flock cameras remain under review.

Sources

• WOSU audit report
• Columbus City Council Ordinance 3181-2024