Columbus activists oppose Flock Safety cameras at city council meeting

25 August 2026.

On August 24, 2026, activists with the Safety Not Surveillance Coalition disrupted a Columbus City Council meeting to oppose the city's use of Flock Safety automatic license plate reading cameras. The group called on the council to discontinue the technology. The disruption marked a public intervention in the city's ongoing use of the camera system. Flock Safety cameras read and store license plate information from vehicles, raising questions about data retention, access, and surveillance scope that have prompted organized opposition in multiple jurisdictions. Columbus residents and their elected representatives can examine the terms of their city's contract with Flock Safety through public records requests, review the camera deployment locations and stated purposes, and assess what data retention policies govern the system. Interested citizens may also attend city council meetings, review meeting minutes, or contact council members to understand the council's rationale for maintaining or expanding the camera network. Similar activism has occurred in other cities as communities weigh the public safety benefits against privacy concerns.

Read the original reporting: The Columbus Dispatch.

Related record: Columbus, Ohio in the jurisdictions directory.