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License-plate readers · Mercer County

Mercer County

Using license-plate readers · 1 agency documented

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Mercer County Sheriff's Office

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
10
10 cameras under the 2023 agreement; a Daily Standard photo caption in Aug. 2026 also refers to 10 Flock readers in Mercer County.
Contract
Flock Safety: $33,500 five-year agreement · approved by Mercer County Board of Commissioners Sept. 2023 · Paid from the inmate phone commission fund (The Daily Standard (Celina), Sept. 27, 2023)
  1. Sept. 2023 County commissioners approved a five-year, $33,500 Flock agreement for 10 plate readers at heavily traveled spots; Chief Deputy Doug Timmerman said deputies would also be able to search other agencies' Flock cameras. (The Daily Standard (Celina), Sept. 27, 2023)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Status is active because the five-year term runs to about 2028; no current-use report found. Commissioners' journal not checked.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. 2022 The state's Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program awarded $11.7 million to 24 law enforcement agencies in its 10th round. One recipient, the Marion County Sheriff's Office ($502,605), budgeted part of its share for Flock plate-reader cameras. (The Marion Star (via Yahoo News), April 6, 2023)
  2. Nov. 20, 2023 Columbus approved a two-year lease of 32 fixed and 8 quick-deploy plate readers through a state term contract; the request form attached to the ordinance identifies them as Flock cameras. The $275,200.01 cost was paid from a 2022 American Rescue Plan grant administered by the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services. A second OCJS grant, the "FY24 Columbus LPR Project," paid for a $228,000 Flock lease approved in December 2024. (Columbus City Council (Legistar), Nov. 22, 2023; Columbus City Council (Legistar), Dec. 11, 2024)
  3. Nov. 2025 The Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed it contracts with Flock Safety, at $90,000 a year according to Cleveland Scene. A Patrol spokesperson said the system helps troopers recover stolen cars, track down suspects and act on missing- or endangered-person alerts. Scene did not report how many cameras the Patrol has or how long it keeps the data. (Cleveland Scene, Nov. 13, 2025)
  4. March 3, 2026 Rep. K. Miller introduced House Bill 725. It would make it a first-degree misdemeanor to knowingly collect, use, sell or share data from automated license plate recognition systems for commercial purposes. Law enforcement use, transfers between public entities and public-records disclosures are exempt. (Ohio Legislative Service Commission, March 10, 2026)
  5. May 11, 2026 Gov. Mike DeWine named Public Safety Director Andy Wilson as interim attorney general through the end of 2026. Dave Yost had announced on May 7 that he would resign effective June 7. (Cleveland19 (WOIO), May 11, 2026)
  6. July 22, 2026 Signal Ohio reported that several state agencies pay for Flock access or cameras. Its figures: the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction paid $171,000 in 2025 and $213,500 in 2026; the Attorney General's Office paid $30,000 in 2023 and $75,000 in 2025; the Department of Youth Services paid about $50,000 over two years; the Fire Marshal's investigation bureau, which uses five cameras plus the Flock network, paid $21,000 in 2025; and the Bureau of Workers' Compensation paid $24,000. The Department of Public Safety also contracts with Flock, but no amount was given. (Signal Ohio, July 22, 2026)
  7. Sept. 2026 Four state representatives, Tristan Rader, Levi Dean, Darnell Brewer and Justin Pizzulli, wrote to Transportation Director Pamela Boratyn. They asked ODOT to stop issuing permits for plate readers in state rights-of-way, to review or revoke existing permits, and to disclose how many it has approved. ODOT runs an online portal where local police apply for these permits. A spokesperson said the department was reviewing the request. (Ohio Capital Journal, Sept. 10, 2026; NBC4 WCMH-TV, Sept. 4, 2026)
  8. Sept. 2026 Four Republican-sponsored bills were introduced. Senate Bill 469 (Sen. Al Cutrona) would require deletion of plate-reader data after 10 days, a search warrant for sharing with other government agencies, monthly audits, annual reports to the Attorney General, and a 500-foot buffer around places of worship and gun stores. House Bill 1009 (Reps. Newman and Willis) would make personal misuse of the data a felony. House Bill 1010 (Rep. Levi Dean) would generally bar government use of such cameras without a warrant. House Bill 1011 (Rep. Gary Click) would limit use for one year to set categories of cases. (News 5 Cleveland (WEWS), Sept. 9, 2026; cleveland.com / Government Technology, Sept. 22, 2026; Statehouse News Bureau (WOSU), Sept. 17, 2026)
  9. Sept. 16, 2026 Interim Attorney General Andy Wilson asked lawmakers to make plate-reader misuse a crime and to bar anyone who misuses the data from serving as a peace officer. He also called for required audits and a data-retention limit of no more than 30 days, and he opposed outright bans. (Cleveland19 (WOIO), Sept. 16, 2026; Statehouse News Bureau (WOSU), Sept. 17, 2026)

State agencies

Ohio State Highway Patrol (Ohio Department of Public Safety)

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
No camera count found
Contract
Flock Safety: $90,000 year · As reported by Cleveland Scene; no contract document was seen (Cleveland Scene, Nov. 13, 2025)
  1. Nov. 2025 A Patrol spokesperson confirmed a Flock contract, which Cleveland Scene put at $90,000 a year. The spokesperson said the system helps troopers recover stolen cars, track down suspects and act on missing- or endangered-person alerts. (Cleveland Scene, Nov. 13, 2025)
  2. July 2026 Signal Ohio listed the Ohio Department of Public Safety among state agencies that contract with Flock, without giving an amount. (Signal Ohio, July 22, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • No camera count, contract dates or retention period were found. A public-records request (ORC 149.43) to ODPS would be needed for the contract and Patrol policy.
  • Andy Wilson directed ODPS from December 2022 until his May 2026 appointment as interim attorney general.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Ohio Attorney General's Office (Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission)

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
  1. July 2026 Per Signal Ohio, the office paid Flock $30,000 in 2023 and $75,000 in 2025. It said its Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission uses the technology in drug and human-trafficking investigations. (Signal Ohio, July 22, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Payments are as reported by Signal Ohio. Whether the office owns cameras or only has network access was not stated.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
  1. July 2026 Per Signal Ohio, ODRC uses Flock cameras against contraband and other crime at state prisons. It paid $171,000 in 2025 and $213,500 in 2026. (Signal Ohio, July 22, 2026)

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Ohio Department of Youth Services

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
  1. July 2026 Per Signal Ohio, DYS uses Flock cameras to investigate crime and prevent contraband at juvenile facilities and paid about $50,000 over the past two years. (Signal Ohio, July 22, 2026)

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Ohio State Fire Marshal, Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau (Department of Commerce)

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
5
Five cameras, per Signal Ohio
  1. July 2026 Per Signal Ohio, the bureau uses the Flock network and five cameras in fire and explosion investigations. It paid $21,000 last year. (Signal Ohio, July 22, 2026)

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
  1. July 2026 Per Signal Ohio, BWC paid Flock $24,000 last year for use in fraud investigations. (Signal Ohio, July 22, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • The Signal Ohio article's year-by-year BWC figures are internally inconsistent ($24,000 'last year' and in 2025; $6,000 in each of two prior years). Only the $24,000 figure is used here.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.