Rep. Thomas Massie says he wants to cut off federal money to any city that uses Flock Safety cameras. The bill has not been introduced, but the announcement adds a new threat to Kenton County communities already divided over the license plate reader systems.
Massie, a Republican representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, announced on July 25 that he plans to introduce legislation to withhold federal funding from any municipality or police department that deploys Flock cameras or similar automatic license plate readers.
"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, alongside an altered Gadsden flag image captioned "Don't flock me."
The announcement lands in the middle of an ongoing fight across northern Kenton County. Fort Wright, Villa Hills, and Crescent Springs have all weighed Flock proposals in the past year, and the Kenton County Fiscal Court has twice delayed a vote on a countywide system amid resident opposition. As of July 25, the Flock vote does not appear on the Fiscal Court's July 28, agenda, though the county's posting schedule could not be independently confirmed.
Where local cities stand
Fort Wright's council discussed a $79,700, three-year contract for four cameras at its February 18 caucus meeting. Police Chief Colwell presented the proposal, but the council found no majority support. Councilmembers Witt and Wall opposed the plan; Councilmember Collins supported it; and Councilmembers Ross and Weber were undecided. The matter was deferred to a future caucus, and no subsequent vote has been publicly scheduled.
Villa Hills kept Flock cameras in its fiscal year 2025-26 budget after a June 18, 2025, council vote. Councilmember Thompson's motion to strip the cameras from the budget failed 2-4. The budget ordinance passed 5-1, though Councilmember Stover noted she voted for the budget but not for the cameras. Villa Hills Police Chief Matt Hall told council at a June 11, 2025, caucus that the cameras capture only rear-of-vehicle images showing the plate, make, model, and color, with images deleted after 30 days.
As of mid-2025, Crescent Springs was considering three cameras for major entry points, according to Chief Hall's report to Villa Hills council. The current status of that proposal is unclear. Independence and Lakeside Park had already deployed the system at that time, according to the same Villa Hills council discussion. Erlanger has been using Flock cameras since at least early 2025, according to WLWT reporting.
Federal prospects uncertain
Massie is in his seventh and final term after losing his May 2026 primary to Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein. He did not release bill text or a timeline for introduction. The legislation builds on the Surveillance Accountability Act he previously introduced with Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., which would require probable-cause warrants before certain surveillance activities.
Flock Safety pushed back the same day. A company spokesperson told Newsweek that withholding funding "would have real consequences for public safety," citing what the company says are more than one million investigations that used Flock data in 2025 and assistance locating more than 10,000 missing people. The Atlanta-based company works with more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide.
What's next
The Kenton County Fiscal Court meets July 28. Residents can monitor future agendas through the Kenton County Clerk's office. Fort Wright has not announced a date to revisit its Flock proposal.
