The Hilliard Division of Police, led by Chief Michael Woods, shares its Flock license plate reader data only with law enforcement agencies in states bordering Ohio, plus the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the division said in a statement to NBC4 published Aug. 5.
The disclosure comes as central Ohio agencies face growing scrutiny over how automated plate reader data moves between departments. A Columbus police audit released in July found 15,577 possible immigration-related searches in that city's Flock network since 2024, though the audit did not uncover searches from ICE specifically. It did identify queries from U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
Columbus police withdrew from national Flock data sharing in June and launched its own transparency portal on July 24.
Hilliard maintains its own public transparency portal, where residents can see which agencies the division shares data with and which agencies share data with Hilliard.
What Flock cameras capture
Flock Safety cameras are AI-powered automated license plate readers that record vehicle details including plates, makes, models and colors. Agencies that use the system can choose to share their data with other departments. Flock Safety says communities control which agencies can access their data and that the company does not work with federal immigration enforcement.
Misuse cases in the region
Two Reynoldsburg police officers resigned in recent months after an internal investigation found one of them may have conducted non-work-related Flock searches more than 50 times over six months, NBC4 reported. In Columbus, the Civilian Police Review Board found officer Joseph Houseberg violated department policy by using Flock cameras to investigate his own vehicle crash on Nov. 27, 2025.
Nationally, at least 50 law enforcement officers have been charged or accused of misusing license plate reader systems, with 46 of those cases tied to Flock Safety's database, according to a Washington Post investigation published in August 2026.
Misuse carries legal consequences in Ohio. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2913.04, knowingly accessing or sharing law enforcement database information beyond what is officially authorized is a fifth-degree felony.
Columbus hearing on Aug. 10
Columbus City Councilmember Emmanuel Remy has scheduled a public hearing on Flock camera concerns for Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. Representatives from Columbus police and Flock Safety are expected to attend. The hearing will address privacy concerns and consider policy revisions following the audit.
While the hearing is a Columbus matter, Hilliard residents who want to understand how the technology works across jurisdictional lines may find it relevant. Hilliard's own Flock cameras have drawn attention for a different reason: as we reported Aug. 4, five cameras have been vandalized in the city since June.
What Hilliard hasn't said
The division's statement did not address whether any internal audit of Flock searches has been conducted, whether any immigration-related queries have been identified in Hilliard's system, or how many cameras the division operates. Other central Ohio departments, including Dublin and Upper Arlington, have publicly stated they found no evidence of improper federal immigration agency access.
Residents with questions can contact the Hilliard Division of Police non-emergency line at 614-876-7321.
