Get the Flock Out of Bellevue, KY

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The Issue

We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and tax-paying citizens of Bellevue, Kentucky, demand the immediate and permanent removal of all Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) surveillance cameras from our streets.

Mass dragnet surveillance has no place in our small-town community. These cameras capture and store the location data of thousands of innocent drivers daily, treating every resident like a criminal suspect without probable cause or judicial oversight.

A mere temporary suspension or pause of the Flock camera system is insufficient. We insist that the Flock Safety contract be canceled and the cameras be completely eliminated from Bellevue ASAP.

WHY WE OPPOSE FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS
1. Rampant Police Abuse, Stalking, and Harassment
Flock Safety systems put the real-time physical locations of residents at the fingertips of hundreds of law enforcement officers without requiring a warrant. Nationwide, this unmonitored access has led to shocking abuses:

San Jose, CA: A police officer illegally accessed the Flock database via his personal phone to hunt down a domestic violence victim and transmitted her live location to her abusive partner. 
Milwaukee, WI: An officer resigned after using police ALPR networks to stalk his romantic partner and her ex-partner nearly 180 times over two months. 
National Stalking Patterns: Investigations by major news organizations and civil rights groups have documented dozens of instances where law enforcement officers used ALPR systems like Flock to stalk ex-partners, wives, girlfriends, and strangers. 
Widespread Misconduct Lawsuits: A 2026 federal class-action lawsuit highlights that out of dozens of identified police ALPR abuse cases, over half involved officers using the system to monitor women or harass personal targets. 
2. Dangerous Warrantless Search & Unlawful Data Sharing
Flock Safety operates a interconnected database across states and jurisdictions. Audits across multiple states—including California and Illinois—have revealed that Flock systems illegally shared location data with federal immigration enforcement (CBP) and out-of-state agencies millions of times without local authorization or oversight. 

3. Misreads and Police Escalation
System errors and misread license plates routinely subject innocent motorists to high-risk, felony-style traffic stops, putting everyday citizens in unnecessary danger due to algorithmic misidentifications.

ELECTED OFFICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
We recognize that the adoption of this invasive surveillance system in Bellevue was passed with the active support of:

Councilmember Steve Guidugli
Councilmember Jack Ondeck
Councilmember Mike Almoslechner
Mayor Charlie Cleves (Tie-breaking vote)
These elected officials prioritized corporate mass surveillance over the constitutional rights, privacy, and safety of Bellevue residents.

OUR DEMANDS
Immediate Cancellation: The City of Bellevue must immediately rescind its contract with Flock Group Inc., held with the Bellevue Police Department and completely decommission and dismantle all Flock Safety camera hardware ASAP.

No Pauses or Suspensions: We reject "studies," "pauses," or "policy updates." Suspension leaves the infrastructure in place to be turned back on later. Complete elimination is the only acceptable solution.
Voter Accountability: If the Mayor and City Council fail to take swift action to permanently remove these cameras, we commit to voting against Mayor Charlie Cleves, Councilmember Steve Guidugli, Councilmember Jack Ondeck, and Councilmember Mike Almoslechner at their next respective election opportunities.

The Decision Makers

Bellevue City Council
6 Members
Chasity Bothman
Bellevue City Council
Mike Almoslechner
Bellevue City Council
Kara Harp
Bellevue City Council
Charlie Cleves
Charlie Cleves
Bellevue City Mayor

Supporter Voices

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