OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Council voted 5–3 to renew a $270,000 contract with Flock Safety, keeping 90 automated license plate-reading cameras operating across the city.
Mayor David Holt and Councilmembers Katrina Avers, Bradley Carter, Todd Stone and Matthew Hinkle supported the renewal. Councilmembers James Cooper, JoBeth Hamon and Camal Pennington voted against it. Councilmember Mark Stonecipher was absent.
The one-year agreement runs through June 30, 2027, according to contemporaneous reporting on the Aug. 18 vote.
The council approved the contract after months of opposition from residents and privacy advocates. Critics warned that the cameras collect information about drivers who are not suspected of crimes.
Nearly 30 residents and activists reportedly addressed the council before the vote. None spoke in support of renewing the contract.
The Oklahoma City Police Department says the cameras help officers find stolen vehicles, investigate crimes and locate missing people. However, two separate cases involving police misuse have intensified concerns about oversight.
Oklahoma City adds limits to Flock camera use
Police Chief Ron Bacy announced several changes intended to limit how officers use and share information collected by the cameras.
The department plans to reduce its standard data-retention period from 30 days to seven. Police may preserve information longer when they consider it evidence in an investigation.
The department also plans to leave Flock’s nationwide database and limit information sharing to approved agencies. Searches must include a stated reason and will be logged under individual users.
The proposed rules also prohibit searches related to immigration enforcement or reproductive health.
The ACLU of Oklahoma called the restrictions a step forward but warned that rules alone cannot prevent misuse.
“We applaud the council for hearing the concerns of many residents and including new guardrails to prevent inappropriate access and use; to limit nationwide sharing of data; and to reduce the retention period to 7 days,” ACLU of Oklahoma Executive Director Tamya Cox-Touré said in a statement.
“These are good first steps but still must be overseen,” she continued. “This technology is easily abused.”
Police disclosed two Flock misuse cases
During the Aug. 18 meeting, Bacy disclosed two separate cases involving Oklahoma City police officers’ use of Flock technology.
In one case, an internal audit found that a police sergeant accessed the system for personal reasons between December 2024 and April 2025.
Several outlets identified the officer as Sgt. Keenan Heskett. The department issued him a Class 3 reprimand, suspended him for three days without pay and placed him on disciplinary probation for one year.
In the second case, the department investigated a complaint alleging that an officer’s Flock use infringed upon someone’s rights. Police said the investigation found sufficient evidence of misconduct and that the officer received “corrective action.”
The department has not identified that officer or disclosed the nature of the corrective action, according to KOKH reporting.
The two cases raise questions about whether search logs and internal audits can deter improper access or merely identify it after the fact. It also remains unclear whether the department will publicly report future violations.
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Flock cameras create searchable vehicle records
Flock’s automated license plate readers capture still images of vehicles traveling on public roads. The system records license plates and vehicle characteristics, including make, model and color.
Police can search that information during investigations. Officers can also receive alerts when a plate potentially matches a stolen vehicle or one connected to a crime.
However, the cameras do not collect information only from suspects. They capture data from vehicles that pass within view, creating a searchable record that can reveal drivers’ movements.
“We know the data has already been shared widely and can be accessed by other agencies, demanded by federal authorities, or disclosed to private actors under company policies,” Cox-Touré said.
“The safest way for cities to protect residents’ personal data is to never collect it,” she added.
Opponents gathered more than 2,200 petition signatures urging the council to reject the renewal, according to DeFlock OKC, a local coalition opposing the cameras.
The cameras will remain operational through at least June 2027 unless city officials terminate or amend the agreement before its next renewal.
“The ACLU of Oklahoma and partners will continue to push back against automatic license plate readers and the growing network of mass surveillance being enabled in our state,” Cox-Touré said.
