Ohio State University has renewed its contract with Flock Safety to use license plate reader cameras on its Columbus campus through 2028. The contract, which began on July 1, will cost the university $378,000 in total.

Details of the Contract

The latest extension is the university’s third agreement with Flock Safety and its most expensive, with a 20% annual increase from the previous deal. The university will pay $31,500 more each year, with the cost increase attributed to higher per-camera charges from the company.

The cameras, which snap photos of passing vehicles, including license plates and details such as the make and model of a car, have been a point of contention across the country and in Ohio. Critics are concerned about how and why the data is being captured and stored, citing concerns about immigrant communities and the potential for the data to be used in federal deportation efforts.

Use of the Cameras

Ohio State officials say the cameras are one of many ways they work to keep students safe. The system has been used to solve crimes and assist law enforcement, although the university does not have a formal data tracking system in place.

Flock Safety cameras are also used by other universities, including Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University and the University of Arizona. The company says the entities overseeing the cameras control who can access the images, which may be shared with participating law enforcement agencies through Flock Safety’s data-sharing network.

Original reporting: Signal Akron — read the source article.