Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson called Flock license plate readers one of the most valuable tools in law enforcement Wednesday, Sept. 16, pushing back against a wave of communities dropping the technology across Greater Cincinnati.

Wilson's statement lands as Liberty Township operates 10 Flock cameras installed earlier this year at a cost of about $30,000 annually. The cameras read rear license plates at locations on the township's outskirts, with the Butler County Sheriff's Office overseeing the system.

In a statement posted to the attorney general's website, Wilson said the cameras are identification tools that help with criminal investigations, not surveillance devices. He said Flock has helped solve thousands of cases in Ohio, including tracking violent criminals and locating missing children.

Wilson acknowledged that some officers have misused the technology but said agencies themselves caught those problems through internal audits. He called on the Ohio General Assembly to make misuse at least a fifth-degree felony, modeled on the state's existing law for the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG). Under that law, officers convicted of unauthorized use must surrender their badges.

The statement arrives amid a regional retreat from Flock. Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey announced Sept. 3 that her office was pausing all 75 of its Flock cameras over concerns about data sharing. At a press conference that day, McGuffey said the pause would last until stronger guardrails were in place, according to WVXU. Pierce Township, Independence, Fort Mitchell and Florence have also paused or ended their contracts, WLWT reported.

The debate has reached the governor's race. Democratic candidate Amy Acton called for a statewide ban Sept. 13, writing on social media that the cameras pose serious risks to privacy. Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy opposed a ban but said misuse must be taken seriously. Both Republican and Democratic state lawmakers have proposed banning Flock cameras altogether, the Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday.

Wilson, a former Clark County prosecutor, was appointed interim attorney general by Gov. Mike DeWine in May to replace Dave Yost, who resigned effective June 7. Wilson will serve through the end of 2026.

In Liberty Township, Lt. Michael Nutt of the Butler County Sheriff's Office said in February, when the cameras were approved, that the system is limited to license plate identification. "We're looking for license plates and vehicles. That's it. That's all it (cameras) can do," Nutt told WCPO at the time.

Flock Safety has since reduced its default data retention period from 30 days to seven and made misuse detection mandatory for all customers. Whether Liberty Township's system has been updated to the shorter retention period is unclear.

Liberty Township has not announced any review or pause of its Flock cameras.