Lexington Mayor will appoint panel to review city's Flock camera use
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton will appoint an independent panel to review the city's use of automated license plate readers, including its existing partnership with Flock Safety.
The Lexington Police Department first introduced the license plate readers in 2022 and has since expanded their use. There are currently 125 of the cameras located throughout the city.
In a news release Friday, Gorton stressed that the Lexington Police Department is not under review, and that "no one has accused our police of doing anything wrong."
"However, there have been questions raised locally and nationally about the technology itself," Gorton said in the release. "This panel will examine best practices and evaluate if improvements are needed, if a new vendor should be considered, or if other action should be taken. I want to take politics out of this discussion, and focus on facts.”
The release said Gorton hopes to assemble the panel by the end of September. Asked whether its meetings will be open to the public, Mayor's Office spokesperson Susan Straub told CivicLex in an email: "There will be more information later."
According to the Mayor's Office, the license plate readers capture images of license plates, basic vehicle descriptions, and the date, time and GPS location of the license plate number. The city's website says those images are automatically checked against law enforcement databases for wanted vehicles, vehicles associated with warrants or other alerts. They aren't used for speed or red-light enforcement.
The announcement follows an August 27th Urban County Council meeting where at least 20 people showed up to speak on the issue, despite it not being under consideration by the body.
Most of the speakers called for the city to end its contract with Flock Safety and restrict the use of automated license plate readers going forward. They raised concerns about police misuse, privacy violations, and potential false alerts from the cameras. A small number of residents spoke in favor of the cameras at that meeting, saying they feel safer in their neighborhoods because of their presence.
4th District Councilmember Emma Curtis was the only Councilmember to address the issue at that meeting. Curtis noted she was not on Council when the city's Flock pilot launched and was later extended and expanded in 2024.
While she does not believe local police or public safety personnel have misused the city's license plate readers, Curtis said she opposes the technology and would have voted against its approval.
"Flock is not a corporation that acts in good faith, or is worthy of our collective trust," Curtis said. "I also believe that these cameras have far greater potential for collective harm than they do for collective good."
Flock Safety and automated license plate readers have come under increased scrutiny and criticism in recent months.
In August, The Washington Post published an investigation that found dozens of cases of police using Flock cameras to stalk women without their knowledge. Here in Kentucky, a Shively police officer was arrested after police said he used Flock cameras to track his ex-girlfriend more than 2,000 times. Several cities in northern Kentucky have also chosen to end or phase out their partnerships with Flock Safety.
According to the Mayor's Office, the review will be led by an "independent, external panel," made up of outside experts.
“Over the past few months, I’ve listened to the public, and we’ve had numerous internal conversations about this technology," Gorton said in the release. "We have already discussed ways to tighten our controls to address concerns expressed by the public. However, I think it’s important to take our due diligence to the next level by appointing an independent, unbiased panel, bringing in outside expertise in technology, civil rights, and the law.”
The release said the cameras have repeatedly helped Lexington police solve violent crimes, recover stolen vehicles, and find missing people.
"Because they have been effective at helping our police fight crime, license plate readers have considerable support among members of the public," Gorton said. "However, other citizens have raised good questions, which should be answered."
You can contact your Councilmember to share your perspective on automated license plate readers. In-person public comment is also available during Council Work Sessions and Thursday Council meetings. Find the Council's meeting schedule here.