Rep. Thomas Massie, who represents Boone County and the rest of Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, announced July 25, that he plans to introduce a bill withholding federal funding from any police department or municipality that deploys Flock license plate reader cameras. The proposal adds a federal dimension to a surveillance debate already dividing communities across Northern Kentucky.
"I'll soon be sponsoring a bill to withhold federal money from municipalities and police departments that deploy Flock (and other style) cameras to surveil law abiding citizens," Massie wrote on X. He paired the post with an altered Gadsden flag showing a snake coiled around a Flock camera, captioned "Don't flock me."
No bill text has been released, and Massie did not provide a timeline for introduction, according to Newsweek.
NKY communities split on cameras
The announcement arrives as neighboring jurisdictions grapple with the same technology.
Newport ended its 16-camera Flock pilot on July 14, after scores of residents spoke against the system at a July 8 town hall. Newport police Capt. Kevin Drohan told attendees the cameras had been "integral" in identifying a vehicle tied to a May shooting at the Circle K at 10th and Monmouth streets. The city said its decision was influenced by resident feedback and should not be read as opposition to the technology itself.
In Kenton County, Police Chief Spike Jones asked the Fiscal Court in mid-July to approve six cameras at county park entrances and the jail parking lot. Commissioner Joe Nienaber told the court he struggles with the proposal.
"I want our kids to be safe at our parks but I also worry about privacy rights," Nienaber said at the meeting, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Commissioner Beth Sewell raised similar constitutional concerns, and about a dozen residents spoke against the plan. No vote has been reported.
Erlanger, which borders Florence along Interstate 75, installed four Flock cameras in September 2024 near hotels and gas stations off the interstate. Erlanger police have said the cameras help officers track wanted vehicles faster, and the city continues to use them.
Flock Safety responds
Flock Safety, the Atlanta-based company that works with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide, pushed back on Massie's proposal. A spokesperson told Newsweek that withholding funding "would have real consequences for public safety," citing more than one million investigations supported and more than 10,000 missing people located using the technology in 2025.
The bill builds on the Surveillance Accountability Act that Massie introduced earlier in 2026 with Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, which would require probable-cause warrants before certain surveillance activities.
Massie is serving his seventh and final term after losing his May Republican primary to Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein. His term ends in January 2027.
No Boone County jurisdiction currently uses or is publicly considering Flock cameras. Massie's bill, if introduced and passed, would apply to any local department nationwide that adopts the technology.
