Rep. Brownlee Calls on Statewide Flock Pause Following Sharonville Officer's Indictment
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Karen Brownlee (D-Symmes Twp) today issued the following statement following the indictment of Sharonville officer Lt. Walter Cordes, who is facing felony charges of unauthorized use of telecommunication property:
“Ohioans deserve to know that technology intended to promote public safety will not come at the cost of their right to personal privacy. The abuse of Flock surveillance cameras represents a serious breach of public trust and raises broader concerns about the use of AI and surveillance technology. While this case showcases the actions of a single person who broke this trust, the case represents a larger issue facing the state.
Until commonsense regulations and necessary safeguards can be implemented to protect citizens’ privacy, the use of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) must be placed on an indefinite pause. I implore my colleagues in the Statehouse to pass comprehensive legislation during the upcoming lame duck session to protect against further misuse or abuse of ALPR and to require that technology companies are transparent, limited in their scope on personal data collection, and incorporate automatic safety tools into their products.
I commend the Sharonville Police Department for their swift and transparent response to the breach, and their collaboration with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s and Prosecutor’s offices.”
ALPR systems automatically photograph license plates and record the time and location of passing vehicles, creating searchable databases that can reveal where people live, work, worship, seek medical care, and participate in political activity. This information is collected from millions of people who are not suspected of any crime.
Concerns about Flock cameras and other ALPR systems have intensified following reports that the technology has been used to stalk domestic partners and that state and local surveillance data may be accessed by federal immigration authorities.