SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — The Shaker Heights Police Department has changed its policy regarding Flock license plate readers in the city after data revealed that numerous outside agencies were using the system for immigration-related searches.
News 5 recently obtained public records chronicling all Shaker's license plate reader data requests from Dec. 20, 2025, through the end of April, 2026.
The data sets show that Shaker Heights data was accessed more than 700,000 times, but Shaker Police accessed it only 1,016 times. The majority, 693,573 searches, were done by other law enforcement agencies in Ohio and across the country.
A reason was listed for each search. Immigration was listed 282 times. I.C.E. was mentioned 32 times.
- From Dec. 20, 2025, to Jan. 20, 2026, Shaker Heights accessed its license plate readers 617 times. Outside agencies accessed the cameras 403,910 times—with immigration-related searches, some of which used the term "ICE," in 196 searches.
- From Jan. 20, 2026, to March 31, 2026, Shaker Heights accessed license plate readers 282 times. Outside agencies accessed the cameras 149,905 times—with immigration related searches coming up 45 times.
- In April, Shaker Heights accessed license plate readers 117 times. Outside agencies accessed the cameras 139,758 times—with immigration related searches being used 41 times.
The majority of the searches agencies used Shaker Heights' cameras for were for other crimes such as "homicide, drugs and narcotics, human trafficking, kidnapping/abduction, motor vehicle theft, robbery, assault, wanted persons, hit and run, and weapon offenses, among other serious crimes," the department said.
New policy
The department said the use of its license plate readers for immigration searches does not align with the city's policies and procedures.
The department said the city now prohibits searches for "immigration," and any outside agency accessing Shaker Heights' cameras must abide by the new rules.
To ensure that the system is being utilized properly, the department said it will review license plate reader searches daily and "suspend access for any immigration-related search that is identified, to confirm the Flock feature banning searches related to immigration matters is working as expected."
We tried to ask both Chief Wayne Hudson and Mayor David Weiss for an on-camera interview, but neither would answer our questions.
Community reaction
Erin Stockdale, an activist with Shake Off Flock, said she thinks the only way to prevent immigration searches with license plate readers is to get rid of them entirely.
"I do think that the only way to prevent the sharing of this information is to turn the system off," she said.
Elizabeth Franco is a resident who has lived in Shaker Heights for the last five years. License plate readers are concerning enough for her that she's adjusted her wedding plans for next year to ensure her family members from Mexico have visas when they come to visit.
"I have several family members who are Mexican nationals on my father’s side and I am very close to them and I have already pushed my wedding out to make sure they had time to get a visa to come to Ohio and attend my wedding,” she said. "It’s increasingly disheartening with all of the aspects in play with how ICE is operating that the likelihood it would be safe for them to come and attend is very low now.”
Franco is so concerned about the issue that she's even considered uninviting family visiting from Mexico.
"Even though I would love for them to be there, they’re a deep part of my life, that I would rather not risk the consequences,” Franco said.
