Five Flock license plate reading cameras in Hilliard have been vandalized since the beginning of June, according to public records obtained by WBNS/10TV, making the city one of several central Ohio communities targeted in a growing wave of attacks on the surveillance technology.

The Hilliard Division of Police has not publicly commented on the vandalism, and details about which camera locations were hit remain unavailable. The department fully implemented its Flock camera network in 2023, according to the city's 2024 Popular Annual Financial Report, deploying the technology to alert officers when vehicles bearing license plates linked to crimes pass through the community.

Hilliard's vandalism is not isolated. In Lorain County, at least five cameras were damaged. In Clermont County, one person was arrested. Replacing a single damaged camera costs approximately $800.

How the cameras work

Under HPD Policy 426, approved by Chief Michael Woods, the fixed Flock cameras photograph the rear license plate of every passing vehicle. Images are transmitted via cellular signal to an off-site server and compared against NCIC databases and local hot lists. Only plates matching an active alert trigger a notification to the monitoring officer.

All captured images are deleted after 30 days unless needed for an active investigation. Every query is logged by name, date, and time, and the Investigations Bureau Commander conducts quarterly audits. The policy prohibits selling, publishing, or sharing ALPR data for commercial purposes.

Why it matters locally

The cameras are part of a broader strategy that has shown results. The Hilliard Division of Police reported an 18% reduction in property crime in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the city's 2025 Popular Annual Financial Report. HPD handled 38,179 calls for service that year.

The ACLU of Ohio has called for the elimination of Flock cameras statewide, citing civil liberties concerns. The organization does not condone the vandalism. Collin Marozzi of the ACLU of Ohio told WBNS on August 2: "People should not be committing vandalism on these cameras. We do not encourage that in any way, shape or form. We think that there is a political process and a legal process to get these cameras removed."

Flock Safety, the Georgia-based company that manufactures the cameras, announced a camera protection plan on July 14, offering repair or replacement coverage in response to the national vandalism wave. Columbus has scheduled a public hearing on Flock camera use for August 10.