wchstv.com · September 4, 2026
Kentucky lawmakers gather to consider strengthening legislation on Flock cameras
# Kentucky lawmakers gather to consider strengthening legislation on Flock cameras
by GILBERT McCLANAHAN
Fri, September 4, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Updated Fri, September 4, 2026 at 6:34 PM
Kentucky lawmakers may take another look at legislation that provides guidelines for using automated license plate readers. (WCHS)
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WCHS) — Kentucky lawmakers may take another look at legislation that provides guidelines for using automated license plate readers.
House Bill 58 went into effect a few months ago, which regulates how law enforcement uses automated license plate readers, or ALPRs.
Somewhere in traffic may be someone police are trying to locate, whether it is a missing person or a suspect in a crime.
"A 16-year-old girl was tragically killed in Jefferson County last week," Elizabethtown Police Chief Jeremy Thompson said. "Due in large part to Flock technology, two teenage suspects were taken into custody this week using Flock technology."
The issue of surveillance and privacy took center stage at the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary meeting in Frankfort, with lawmakers questioning whether more needs to be done to improve privacy protections.
"I am hearing that the very citizens that we serve do not want to be monitored and surveilled in this way, and I think it is my responsibility to bring that to the table," Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, said.
"I don't know why a warrant wouldn't be required, frankly," Rep. Jason Nemes, R-House Majority Whip, said. "I know the police do not like that, but I don't know why we would not require a warrant."
Kevin Kane with Flock Safety told the committee that ALPRs have become a vital investigative tool for law enforcement, but must be used with strong policies and guardrails.
"It is important to note that all customers, even states that do not have laws governing ALPR use, own and control 100% of the data that is collected by the system, and we do not sell data to third parties," Kane said. "Plus, Flock ALPRs do not use facial recognition."
"We need a uniform policy, so data retention is consistent across the board and more limited than the status quo," Kate Miller of the ACLU of Kentucky said.
The next session of the Kentucky General Assembly begins in January, and that should provide enough time for lawmakers to digest the ALPR demonstration and consider ways to improve existing legislation on the topic.