Dayton Public Schools leaders say overall they don’t share data gathered by the district’s automated license plate reading cameras with outside agencies.
School administrators call Flock cameras one of the many security measures they use to protect students, staff and property. In an email to WYSO, Superintendent David Lawrence said the district uses the devices as a limited public safety tool. The cameras capture snapshots of vehicles and license plates on school property.
According to Lawrence, “Access to the district’s Flock system is limited to only a few authorized personnel, and system activity is logged and monitored. The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority.”
Lawrence told WYSO that DPS does not receive information about vehicle owners or immigration status when accessing the Flock system. Also, an outside agency must submit a formal written request to DPS if they want specific data.
Earlier this summer, the city of Dayton suspended using Flock cameras after the police department revealed information was shared with local, state and federal agencies. This is against city policy. Also, more than 7,100 of these search requests were immigration related. The city has covered its cameras with black bags, but not removed them.
DPS administrators are now creating a formal policy for their Flock cameras and data.
