(Sightseers’ Delight) — Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson is defending Flock license plate readers as effective investigative tools and calling on state lawmakers to criminalize their misuse.
In a statement, Wilson said Flock has helped solve thousands of cases in Ohio, including some involving violent crime and missing children.
“License plate recognition systems are tools of identification designed to assist in criminal investigations,” Wilson said. “They are not tools of surveillance.”
Wilson acknowledged a small number of officers have misused Flock in cases that recently drew media attention, though he noted law enforcement agencies caught the problems through their own internal audits. He called such misuse rare but said it should carry real consequences.
Wilson wants lawmakers to treat Flock misuse the way they treat unauthorized access to the state’s law enforcement database — a fifth-degree felony that costs an officer their badge. He argued that the standard should serve as the legislature’s baseline going forward.
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