On Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, City Commissioner Daryl Fairchild told News Center 7 that Dayton signed a contract with an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation of the city’s Flock camera system, according to WHIO. The city has more than 70 fixed‑site cameras that were covered with bags in May after the police chief disclosed that the technology had been misused.
Commissioners said the probe will focus on how the department violated policies outlined in the Surveillance Impact Report, including the failure to obtain required approval for external data sharing and the lack of documentation that data would not be used for immigration enforcement. The internal review found that a network‑sharing feature had been enabled in October 2025, allowing broader access to license‑plate data than intended. As a result, the former Commander of the Support Services Division was removed from the Dayton Police Department.
Police spokesperson James Rider confirmed that the Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) were halted indefinitely while the review proceeded. The department reported roughly 7,100 search requests citing immigration‑related purposes from various law‑enforcement agencies, though it could not confirm whether any data was returned or acted upon.
Commissioner Matt Joseph emphasized the need to balance crime‑solving benefits with residents’ basic rights, saying, “We’re trying to figure out how we get information that helps to solve crimes but doesn’t infringe on people’s basic rights.” Commissioner Darius Beckham called the January 2026 request for additional Flock technology “negligent” given the October 2025 misuse. City Manager Shelley Dickstein described the findings as “egregious violations.”
The controversy extends beyond Dayton. WHIO reported that Flock cameras are installed throughout the Miami Valley, with almost a dozen in Miamisburg, nearly three dozen in Harrison Township, and a dozen in Vandalia. State Rep. Phil Plummer, a former Montgomery County sheriff, warned that the technology could infringe on civil liberties, noting that “innocent people are getting stopped because of bad technology, no oversight and no regulations.”
Law‑enforcement officials defended the system. Miamisburg Police Chief Michael Brem said the technology captures only a vehicle’s plate and color, not faces, and that it “keeps our community safe.” Flock spokesperson Jalen Johnson echoed that the system does not record faces or perform facial recognition. The Institute for Justice has identified more than 100 cases of law‑enforcement technology misuse nationwide, underscoring the broader debate.
Local residents voiced mixed opinions. News Center 7 viewer Laura Thomas called the cameras “an invasion of privacy,” while Harrison Township Trustee Georgeann Godsey recounted a personal experience where the system helped locate her sister’s car within 15 minutes after a call to the sheriff’s office.
City commissioners said the independent investigation will determine who knew what, when they knew it, and why the information was not disclosed earlier. They have not yet decided whether the Flock program will continue after the review.
What’s next: Dayton officials will await the law firm’s findings before making a final decision on the future of the Flock camera program.
