EDITOR'S NOTE: The Bluffton Police Department and Allen County Sheriff's Department replied to the Icon's inquiry that they do not use LPR (Flock) cameras.

By Paula Pyzik Scott

Last week, I hadn't heard of an LPR (automated license plate reader) or Flock camera. With the appearance of a solar-powered stationary LPR near the intersection of state routes 235 and 309--which has been noted on social media--I asked Hardin County and Ada law enforcement officials for some background.

Hardin County Sheriff Keith Everhardt has replied that his office "has employed the use of LPR cameras for over two decades. Originally, the office had two LPRs affixed to two marked patrol units assigned to enforcement deputies. These were paid for through a grant from the State of Ohio. 

"In 2022, the office invested in seven LPR cameras. They have been strategically placed throughout the county at high-traffic areas. These cameras have been used to assist in solving homicide cases, lost elderly, illegal drug enforcement and stolen vehicle cases.

"The Flock camera program for Hardin County has traditionally been paid for through a grant from the Ohio Criminal Justice Services program."

Ada Police Chief Alec Cooper responded that "Ada Police Department does not own, lease or operate any ALPRs at this time, nor have we in the past."

The use of LPR cameras and cell phone location data is currently in Ohio and national news, with local governments and federal courts debating whether and when these technologies may be used, and how they affect an individual's expectations of privacy. 

LPR cameras are also marketed to homeowners associations and businesses.