Jefferson City Council renews Flock agreement amid nationwide debate over its use

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Jefferson City Council on Monday voted overwhelmingly to renew its agreement with Flock for automated license plate readers, with Ward 2 Councilman Cody Holt casting the lone dissenting vote.

Since September 2025, the Jefferson City Police Department has operated 21 Flock automated license plate readers throughout the city.

Ahead of the vote, Holt asked the council to discuss the cameras, citing concerns about privacy and how the data collected by the system is shared.

The use of Flock cameras has drawn scrutiny nationally, with privacy advocates raising concerns about data sharing and law enforcement access.

A national tracker of Flock contracts lists more than 30 communities that have ended their agreements amid similar concerns about privacy, data sharing and law enforcement access.

While Holt said he trusts the Jefferson City Police Department to use the cameras responsibly and wants officers to have access to useful tools, he felt the council needed to have a broader discussion about their use before voting to renew the agreement.

“I believe the personal security aspect is important, and I also think that arming our police and law enforcement officers with the most advanced tools to be able to do their jobs is a good thing, but I think the potential invasion of public privacy is outweighed by that risk,” Holt said during the meeting. 

However, other members of the council quickly voiced their support for the Flock cameras, with Ward 4 Councilman Chris Leuckel saying the police needed as many resources and assets available, pointing to an arrest from Columbia police with the help of the cameras. 

“One in Columbia as recently as I think last week, a crime was committed, and within minutes they were apprehended because of the Flock camera. I think those unfortunately are not celebrated,” Leuckel said. “Not designed to be celebrated necessarily, other than take the broader view of protecting the community and being safe. To address one thing that was brought up about getting potential misuse, as it related to this department, this city, I would give full faith and confidence to our police chief and our leadership. 

Ward 5 Councilman Shane Kampeter offered a similar sentiment. 

“A lot of the things that happen when these are used, minutes, seconds, matter. A car can leave Jeff City pretty fast,” Kampeter said during the meeting. “We do not have enough staff in Jeff City to sit here and physically watch cameras. Systems like this are able to track them before they even get to the Missouri River Bridge, which could be within seconds.” 

Ward 4 Councilwoman Julie Allen also acknowledged some of the pushback that Flock has received, but felt the benefits outweighed the concerns. 

“I would just caution us to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. I do know these have been very useful in some law enforcement issues that we’ve had,” Allen said.  

Jefferson City Police Chief Eric Wilde said the department has been utilizing some form of automatic license plate reading cameras for more than two decades, but it is now starting to gain more attention as the technology has continued to evolve and get better. 

“This is just another tool that we use that has been one of the most effective that I have seen in my career,” Wilde said. 

Wilde added during the meeting that the use of Flock cameras has helped the department solve three homicides. He also addressed concerns over misuse of the cameras, saying he understands there is not much trust in big government. 

But Wilde tried to alleviate those concerns, saying he understands the weight on his office's shoulders and that the department will continue to train, establish policy, and audit the use of Flock to ensure they are being used appropriately.

“As law enforcement, we have so many tools that we can utilize that violate your constitutional rights. This weapon, this pepper spray, tasers, our radios, using them incorrectly,” Wilde said. “How we defeat that is ongoing and rigorous training, oversight, policy, and auditing.”

Council documents show the new agreement runs through May 14, 2027, and will cost the city $51,000.