Monroe County, IN

The Monroe County Board of Commissioners voted 2-0, with Commissioner Lee Jones absent, to terminate the county's Flock Safety contract and remove six license plate readers, accepting a $3,000 removal fee. The original 2021 agreement was $16,500. Commissioner Thomas cited data misuse — 'The way the data has been abused, and we've seen national stories about this, is terrible' — and Commissioner Madeira called the removal cost well spent. Sheriff Ruben Marté supported the termination, agreeing it aligned with the values of most Monroe County residents. Commissioners acknowledged the cameras had helped locate missing persons and investigate crimes but concluded national misuse reports outweighed those benefits.

What moved this decision

national reporting on police misuse of Flock data
resident pressure on local officials
sheriff’s concurrence

What happened afterwards

Monroe County followed the City of Bloomington, which sits inside the county and had let its own roughly $50,000 Flock contract expire on March 5, 2026 after Mayor Kerry Thomson declined to renew, citing privacy, transparency, and public trust following a Jan 30, 2026 protest at city hall that drew over 400 people. Indiana as a whole split: Fort Wayne's renewal failed 5-4 and remains unresolved, while South Bend (45 cameras) and Michigan City (60 cameras) retained or expanded theirs.

What we still don’t know

These are the records we would need to describe this decision completely. If you can help obtain them, or already have them, get in touch.

Whether the cameras have been physically removed
Whether the sheriff's office retains access to any other agency's ALPR network