BOARDMAN, OHIO
Those who give up liberty for safety will get neither. That warning is as true today as it was 250 years ago. In our township and across the Valley, these systems are sold as "safety tools" while our rights are trampled. This is not red or blue. It is about surveillance pushing beyond the traditional protections of the Fourth Amendment. Tell our local leaders: warrantless surveillance will never be acceptable in any form - END IT NOW.
RIGHTS OR PRIVILEGES?
You do have a reasonable expectation not to be tracked without a warrant. Courts have upheld this time and again.
Boardman contributes to a nationwide network of over 80,000 cameras, recording, time-stamping, storing, and making movements searchable over time. In the Mahoning Valley, more than 100 cameras can contribute to that cumulative record. Read more to see the map.
Records pulled from the Boardman Flock Transparency Portal show transparency gets weaker over time. Over just a few months, logs started hiding information and often lacked reasons for warrantless searches. Read more to see the screenshots and check the raw files yourself.
Data in these systems is controlled by third parties, not residents. "Trust us" is not protection. We are told there are strict rules, but those rules are not publicly posted in full for residents to review. Even if rules exist, data in third-party hands sits outside direct constitutional limits.
Boardman participates in MAGLOCLEN, part of the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program, a network that includes more than 10,800 state, local, and federal agencies across the United States and in partner countries including Canada, England, and New Zealand.
"I have nothing to hide" misses the point. This is an end run around the Fourth Amendment using what is called third-party doctrine. The Supreme Court said in Carpenter v. United States (2018) that modern location tracking generally needs a warrant.
We already know who paid: we did. Tax dollars are funding our own loss of rights. It ends when residents show up, speak up, and demand these contracts be canceled.
KEY FACTS
The September 9, 2024 Boardman Township minutes record Resolution 24-09-09-08 approving the initial Flock Safety license plate reader (LPR) system for $169,350 and state that the purchase was funded by an estate donation.
According to Vindicator reporting, the donated house sold for $173,000. At that time, officials stated that $35,781 would be used for ballistic door plates and that up to $23,000 would be used for township building camera purchases.
Sources: See September 9th Minutes and Vindicator reporting on funding source
The December 16, 2025 minutes record Resolution 25-12-16-12 renewing the FLOCK LPR agreement for $50,000 in 2026 and $78,000 in 2027. That vote commits additional public funds to a system that raises serious Fourth Amendment concerns years into the future.
Source: See December 16th Minutes
In Carpenter v. United States (June 22, 2018), the Supreme Court held that modern location tracking is a Fourth Amendment search and generally requires a warrant. Local leaders do not need another court decision to act now. As it exists today, this system stretches third-party doctrine far beyond what Carpenter cautioned against.
Sources: Carpenter v. United States (Supreme Court Text) and Flock Study Critique
When data is stored and managed within a vendor-controlled system, transparency depends on the vendor's reporting and technical controls.
In practice, we are being asked to trust assurances about deletion, access logs, and downstream sharing that we cannot independently audit.
Even when ownership remains with the agency, practical control over verification may be limited.
Sources: Have I Been Flocked: Terms Reporting (Feb 2026) and 404 Media: Police Messaging Reporting
Recent reporting on Flock's contract terms notes that while customer data language was adjusted, vendor license rights became broader and longer-lasting - including a perpetual license to use data for product improvement.
On paper, agencies may "own" the data. But the contract grants the vendor ongoing rights to use and retain it.
As one commentator put it, "Ownership is irrelevant when the license grants control."
Boardman shares data with MAGLOCLEN, part of the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Program, a law-enforcement information-sharing network that includes more than 10,800 member agencies in the U.S., Canada, England, and New Zealand. Because RISS connects agencies across multiple states and countries, the full geographic scope of access to shared databases is not publicly detailed. As a result, the potential reach of that data may extend beyond a single township or jurisdiction.
Sources: RISS: About Us (Archive Snapshot) and Have I Been Flocked: RISS Shell Game, and Boardman's "Transparency" Portal
VIDEO REPORTING & ANALYSIS
Video breakdowns and investigative reporting on how these databases are built, searched, and challenged.
Benn Jordan: Breakdown of AI vehicle fingerprinting, non-plate identification, and false-match risk.
Benn Jordan: Independent test of camera/network security controls, physical access risks, and system hardening gaps.
KDVR Denver (FOX31): Local report on a falsely accused woman, highlighting the real-world dangers of camera-match errors.
Shannon Morse: Privacy and security analysis on account-control weaknesses, audit findings, and wrongful-accusation risk.
Louis Rossmann: Commentary on taxpayer funding, surveillance expansion, and local accountability pressure.
ReasonTV: Investigative short on Washington public-records litigation and why some cities shut camera programs rather than expand disclosure.
SPREAD THE WORD
This flyer lays it out clearly and answers the most common arguments and misconceptions.
Built to print, share, and leave behind to cut through misinformation.
Open PDF
TAKE ACTION
You cannot fix a dragnet with a policy tweak. Tracking without cause is not public
safety; it weakens the constitutional safeguards that protect ordinary people.
Local votes built this surveillance network, and local votes can end it. "Trust us" is
not enough when fundamental rights are involved.
We should demand:
Immediate cancellation of the contracts.
Full removal of the cameras.
No public funding for systems that track people
without cause.
These cameras were installed with little public scrutiny. People across the country are
beginning to push back. We should too.
Rights do not defend themselves. It takes people showing up, speaking out, and saying
enough.
If we let this become normal, it will stay that way.
Boardman is one of the biggest, but not the only one. If you're outside Boardman, use this county directory for an easy-to-follow list of your city, township, or village officials. Nothing changes if we don't speak up.
2026 Mahoning County Directory Please note: House districts flipped*
Check the latest official township updates: Boardman Township Website
The Boardman Township Board of Trustees generally meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
Meetings are generally held at 5:30 p.m. at the Boardman Township Government Center, 8299 Market Street, Boardman, Ohio.
Meeting schedules can change. The township updates meeting information and usually publishes schedule notices under News on the website.
Can't make a meeting? Contact our trustees and make your voice heard: Boardman Township Administration Website
Phone: 330-726-4177 ext. 61818
Email: LMoliterno@boardmantwp.com
Email: SYacovone@boardmantwp.com
Email: MGambrel@boardmantwp.com
No county dollars without rights protections. Let the Commissioners know: Mahoning County Commissioners Website
Phone: 330-740-2130
Act locally. Engage statewide. We can do both.
Columbus Office: 614-466-6107
Email: Rep59@ohiohouse.gov
Website: Member Page
Contact: Contact Page
Columbus Office: 614-466-8285
Email: Cutrona@ohiosenate.gov
Website: Member Page
Contact: Contact Page
I believe the most effective change starts locally. But this is also a national issue.
Youngstown District Office: 330-967-7312
Website: Official Website
Contact: Contact Page
Cleveland Office: 216-522-7272
Website: Official Website
Contact: Contact Page
Washington Office: 202-224-3353
Website: Official Website
Contact: Contact Page
Privacy is a fundamental right. I am concerned not just for my township, but for my state and my country. If you're not in Boardman, it still affects you. Learn more, then contact your local, state, and federal officials and tell them no to mass surveillance. This is not just about ALPR cameras. Privacy protections are lacking across the U.S., from doorbell camera networks to data-harvesting tech companies. We can all play a part in fixing this.