BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — Look close enough, and they appear. A black object, shaped like a rounded-rectangle, and a solar panel, on a black pole.
They are called FLOCK Cameras. They are the most prominent brand of advanced license plate reader cameras.
FLOCK cameras track each car that passes by and allow police to access the data.
Bartlesville city councilor Tim Sherrick is questioning their use.
“I personally believe, after seeing a couple of interim studies from our state capitol, that Title 47 does limit the use of FLOCK cameras, to the legitimate use of uninsured motorist enforcement only,” Sherrick said.
During the council’s May 4 meeting, Sherrick discussed potential new restrictions on the cameras uses.
Soon-to-be police chief, Andrew Ward, addressed the council.
“We’re committed to using this technology, responsibly and with strong policies in place to safeguard privacy and ensure accountability,” Ward said.
Ward said police used FLOCK cameras more than 1,200 times between March 2025 and April 2026.
“Police believe they can do it, without first consulting with a judge, or obtaining a warrant. That’s something that was never possible, in the history of our nation. Until the building of these surveillance networks,” Sidney Thaxter, a senior litigator at the National Fourth Amendment Center said.
The council broached the topic of requiring warrants.
“It’d be like me filing an application to search my daughter’s room. It’s my home. I can go in and look at it,” Kane said, “Why would I ask a judge for approval to do that? So I see from the report that other communities are looking at something like that, but that’s just something that I’m not able to understand,” Bartlesville’s attorney, Jess Kane, said.
2 News Oklahoma listened to one, Bartian, Cameron Rushing. He was not sold on police having access to the cameras.
“I would say no, because like, yeah, in a way they would, because of you know, potential theft of cars or something, to find the vehicle. But, other than that, I don’t see why they would need them, cuz why would they need to track you?” Rushing said.
The council is expected to revisit the issue in July.
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