Columbus suspends Flock cameras after officer misuse found

8 September 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther announced the suspension of the city's Flock automatic license plate reader cameras in late August 2026 following the discovery of potential officer misconduct. The suspension was prompted by a USA Today investigation that revealed one officer had searched for a single vehicle's location more than 200 times using the city's cameras. The officer, identified as Melvin Telis, was placed on leave as the city launched an investigation. The city began physically covering the cameras late Friday afternoon following the announcement.

The suspension marks a significant shift in Columbus leadership's stance toward the surveillance technology. The mayor and police chief had previously defended Flock cameras against public calls for suspension, which had included hours-long city council debates over several months. Police leadership had claimed no misuse had been identified in Columbus, distinguishing the city from other jurisdictions where Flock camera misuse had been documented at police departments.

The discovery of misconduct was made possible through a USA Today database that allows members of the public to search their own license plates and review how many times officers have searched for specific vehicles. This transparency tool enabled reporters to identify the unusually high search frequency and pursue questions with city officials. The revelation demonstrates how public records and investigative journalism can expose patterns of surveillance tool misuse that might otherwise remain undocumented in official police oversight systems.

Residents in other cities with Flock camera contracts can check their own police department's search activity through similar public databases and request records of camera searches and officer access logs through open records requests.

Read the original reporting: WOSU Public Media.

Related record: Columbus, Ohio in the jurisdictions directory.