We, the unrecognized residents and concerned citizens of Stow Ohio, hereby petition the City Council, and Mayor John Pribonic to immediately terminate any contracts with Flock Safety (or similar ALPR providers), remove all existing Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras, and adopt policies prohibiting the future deployment of mass surveillance technologies without robust public oversight and transparency.

Background and Reasons

Flock Safety cameras are high-resolution, AI-powered systems that automatically capture and store detailed data on every vehicle that passes by—including license plates, vehicle color, make/model, direction of travel, timestamps, and often additional details like bumper stickers or visible features. This creates a pervasive surveillance network that tracks the movements of innocent residents across our small city without individualized suspicion or warrants. 

In small communities like ours, these cameras raise serious concerns about privacy, civil liberties, data security, and potential misuse:

•  Mass Surveillance Without Cause: They log data on thousands of law-abiding citizens daily, building databases that can be shared with other agencies or accessed broadly, eroding our reasonable expectation of privacy on public roads. 

•  Lack of Transparency and Oversight: Contracts often lack strong audit requirements, data retention limits, or public reporting. In many cases, the full scope of deployment (number and locations of cameras) is not fully disclosed to residents. 

•  Risk of Misuse and Data Breaches: Private companies hold sensitive location data that could be vulnerable to hacks, subpoenas, or unauthorized access (including by federal agencies). This is especially concerning in a close-knit small city where anonymity is already limited.

•  Ineffectiveness for Public Safety: Evidence from various communities shows limited proven benefits for solving crimes relative to the privacy costs. Funds spent on these systems could better support community policing, mental health services, or infrastructure improvements.

•  Disproportionate Impact: Such systems can chill free movement and disproportionately affect certain groups, normalizing constant monitoring in a town where trust and neighborly relations have traditionally been strong.

Many other cities and towns across the U.S. are actively “DeFlocking” by rejecting contract renewals, removing cameras, or passing ordinances for better oversight. We urge Stow and surrounding city’s to join this growing movement to protect resident privacy while maintaining effective, accountable public safety. 

Specific Demands

1.  Terminate the Contract: Immediately end any agreement with Flock Safety or similar vendors and cease all data sharing.

2.  Remove Existing Cameras: Dismantle and remove all installed Flock and other AI driven cameras IMMEDIATELY, and PERMANENTLY 

3.  Adopt Protective Policies: Pass an ordinance requiring:

 •  Public hearings and approval for any new surveillance technology.

 •  Strict data retention/deletion policies (e.g., delete non-investigative data within 30 days).

 •  Annual public reports on any surveillance use and effectiveness.

 •  Prohibition on sharing data with non-local agencies without a warrant.

4.  Transparency: Provide a full public inventory of current and past camera locations and data access logs.

We believe these steps will reaffirm our commitment to a safe, free, and privacy-respecting community without unnecessary high-tech overreach.