Toledo Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform Committee Meeting – September 17, 2026

The Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform Committee met on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 4:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The agenda included two primary topics: an update on the Toledo Municipal Court Diversion Study and a discussion regarding the use of Flock license plate readers and surveillance cameras. Presentations were given by the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School, Toledo Municipal Court, the Toledo Police Department, and Common Pleas Judge Lindsay Navarre. The meeting concluded with extensive public comment, with the majority of speakers opposing the continued use or expansion of Flock technology.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items were presented.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Richard Arnold urged council to avoid rash decisions and instead conduct an independent audit before any termination or disruption of Flock cameras.
• Janice Flaherty opposed Flock cameras, arguing they violate Fourth Amendment rights and constitute unconstitutional surveillance without a warrant.
• John Dorn spoke against Flock, alleging disingenuous talking points and pointing to misuse in other jurisdictions; he claimed the system allows searches with nonsensical reasons and is linked to broader databases (LEADS, NCIC).
• Paul Via Franco (Abriendo Puertas para Soluciones / Privacy First) opposed the technology, arguing it shifts the presumption of innocence to guilt and enriches a corporation with no stake in Toledo; he advocated funding after-school programs, job training, and community policing instead.
• Enrique Garcia opposed Flock, stating it is an unpopular surveillance tool with no room for mistakes and that outside agencies have access to data.
• Susan Keene (Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition / Privacy First) strongly opposed Flock expansion, claiming TPD shares data with 269 jurisdictions in 27 states that have 287(g) agreements with ICE, thereby violating Toledo Ordinance O-094-26 designed to protect immigrants.
• Baltimore Velasquez (representing the other "Flock" – a community organization) stated the benefits of Flock cameras do not outweigh the risks, especially for mixed-immigration-status families, and that federal agencies can easily access the data.
• Sean Nestor expressed offense at council's handling of the issue, alleging misrepresentation of concerns and ignoring constituents; he urged council to do soul-searching.
• Alison Pritchard (certified internal auditor, city advisory audit committee) called for independent, ongoing audits rather than vendor-configured flags; she noted TPD is not reviewing access beyond automated flags.
• Jessica Molina (El Centro Hub) argued that Flock data sharing violates the promise of Ordinance O-094-26 because data flows to jurisdictions with 287(g) agreements, and that an audit only shows what has already happened.
• Anita Rios (resident of District 4) stated she does not feel safer despite Flock cameras in her area, calling the technology an illusion of a solution.
• Peggy Masterson cited Orwell's 1984 and warned that liberty is lost incrementally through surveillance.
• Austin Gray (computer science graduate) shared his own FOIA audit of Oregon, Ohio, showing that federal agencies including ICE (3,700 searches), FBI (36,000), and USPS (39,000) searched Oregon's Flock data; he submitted a FOIA to Toledo and offered to discuss results.
• David Geddert accused Flock of lying about capabilities, noting features like geo-search and convoy analysis; he argued that tracking by bumper sticker equates to tracking by belief, violating freedom of association (NAACP v. Alabama).
• Maurice Morris raised privacy concerns and referenced Carpenter v. United States regarding historical location data; he doubted that deleted data is truly gone.
• Gavin Moss stated there is no public data showing Flock reduces crime, citing false-positive rates in other cities (e.g., 70% in one California town).
• Lewis Vailhorst questioned the lack of a clear vision for Flock (license plate reader vs. broader surveillance) and warned that Flock as a company ultimately seeks data for profit.
• Joe (roommate of Gavin) urged strong oversight if cameras remain, noting that Flock is part of a larger surveillance state.
• Michael Haynes (Toledo Police Patrolman's Association) expressed split views: police need Flock to offset manpower losses and solve crimes, but he acknowledged privacy concerns and urged council to implement proper safeguards.
• Mandy Lehman (crime victim and former foster youth) valued privacy as a protection; she opposed Flock because it invades privacy and data can be shared across state lines, harming vulnerable communities.

Discussion Items

Toledo Municipal Court Diversion Study Update

• Renee Dancer (Access to Justice Lab, Harvard Law School) and Lisa Falgiano (Court Administrator) presented preliminary data from the ongoing evaluation of the court's persistent low-level offender diversion program and a community service condition.
• Enrollment: As of early September 2026, 744 participants had enrolled, well ahead of the expected 648 (60% of the target vs. 51% expected). The projected enrollment completion moved from March 2028 to December 2027.
• Demographics: Random assignment is working; participants are similar across groups by race and age (mean age ~35).
• Completion rates are high; most cases are dismissed upon successful completion. Mean case length is about seven weeks.
• Preliminary data (not yet causal) show very low post-enrollment recidivism in both groups. Participants are also not yet engaging heavily with community housing services (HMIS), but follow-up is ongoing.
• Successes: Strong local partnerships (law department, public defender, prosecutor, mayor's office, clerk of court, court). Regular data collection with ODRC (monthly) and HMIS (quarterly).
• Challenges: Labor data from Job and Family Services and OLDA is not yet available due to data-sharing agreement delays and staff turnover. Minor referral/re-referral errors have been addressed through training.
• Judge Coleman emphasized that the program holds people accountable without a conviction, and early data suggest both groups are not re-offending. He noted the program costs less than $40,000 per year.
• Council President Williams praised the program, noting 60% of participants had charges dismissed and recidivism is low.
• Councilman Sarantou asked about the program's start (2017), non-completion rates (less than one-third), and overall criminal caseload decline (estimated 35% since Judge Coleman started 20 years ago).
• The committee expressed strong support for the study and looked forward to final results.

Flock Camera Discussion

• George Kral (Chief of Safety and Internal Services) opened by stating the city supports Flock as a modern investigative tool with clear policies and oversight.
• Chief Trentley emphasized that Flock cameras act as a deterrent and help solve homicides quickly; Toledo's homicide clearance rate is 86% (national average ~61%), up from under 60% before Flock (2022). He warned that removing cameras would likely increase crime and victims.
• Assistant Chief Braun provided specifics: since 2022, Flock has helped recover over 100 stolen vehicles, cleared 48 missing persons cases, and was used in 68% of 210 homicides; 17 solved homicides would likely have gone unsolved without Flock. He gave examples of locating missing elderly individuals with dementia.
• Lieutenant Cook explained system capabilities: images are retained 30 days, then automatically deleted. All searches require an offense type and reason; the system logs all activity. Only 0.4% of captured plates are ever searched. Top search reasons: stolen motor vehicles, hit-and-run, wanted persons, homicide/death investigations, drug investigations.
• Audit tools flag suspicious behavior (e.g., single user searching the same plate repeatedly, only searching outside Toledo). Flags are reviewed by supervisors. No misuse by TPD officers has been found.
• Data sharing: TPD shares with 2,235 organizations; 437 in Ohio. Federal sharing requests are turned off. Immigration and reproductive care searches are blocked from hitting TPD's network.
• Transparency page: Available online with search counts, offense types, and data retention information.
• Councilman Driscoll expressed concerns about third-party control of data and AI risks; he suggested a system like LEADS (regulated by Ohio AG) and proposed a pause pending an audit.
• Councilwoman Gaddis noted she submitted a public records request 78 days ago with no response; she stated her constituents oppose mass surveillance and want a pause.
• Councilman Sarantou clarified that Flock identifies only license plates, not drivers, and that misuse leads to discipline up to termination; he read supportive communications from a Washington Township resident and Judge Navarre's editorial.
• Councilwoman Kramer stressed the need for oversight and regular audit information, noting she and Gaddis had requested an audit but received nothing in 78 days. She asked about school safety deterrent effect; TPD said they cannot guarantee prevention but the system aids response.
• Council President Williams (District 4) expressed strong support, citing Flock's role in solving the murders of Joseph Johnson (age 16) and an 8-month-old baby in her district. She called for an audit but opposed a pause.
• Councilman Martinez described his District 2 Safety Initiative: voluntary participation by schools, exterior cameras only, activated via 911 call, plus additional public-right-of-way cameras. He noted District 2 has the fewest cameras in the city. After hearing concerns, he stated he would hold the proposal in committee until an independent audit is complete and any recommendations are incorporated.
• Judge Lindsay Navarre (Lucas County Common Pleas Court) testified that Flock technology was pivotal in solving several high-profile murders (Jasmine Queen, Jediah Carter, Charles Walker/Brent Kohlehofer, Darnell Jones). She argued that courts have found no reasonable expectation of privacy in a license plate on a public roadway and that the community would be less safe without Flock. She suggested a framework similar to LEADS for oversight.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during the committee meeting.
• Councilman Martinez voluntarily agreed to hold his District 2 Safety Initiative (O-286-26, O-307-26, R-398-26) in committee pending the completion of an independent audit of Flock camera use by the city auditor.
• Multiple council members (Gaddis, Kramer, Driscoll) expressed support for an independent audit; Council President Williams had already introduced a resolution for an audit.
• The committee received the diversion study update with strong praise and will continue to monitor progress toward completion in late 2027.
• The meeting was adjourned after public comments.