· Bloomington, IN · Ban
Bloomington, Indiana council votes 7-0 to ban city use of license-plate readers
On Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, the Bloomington Common Council voted 7-0 to pass Ordinance 2026-22, which bars the city and its agents from acquiring or using automated license-plate reader (ALPR) technology. It also restricts surveillance camera systems whose recorded data is shared, or could be shared, with third parties such as vendors and other government agencies. Closed-circuit systems that keep data inside the city, such as cameras in city parks, are not covered. The vote was reported by The Bloomingtonian from a news release by co-sponsor Councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith. The ban follows the city's decision not to renew its Flock Safety ALPR contract, which expired March 5. According to the release, the city still has active Flock contracts for four downtown security cameras and four mobile security systems. Sponsors Piedmont-Smith, Council President Isak Asare and Council Vice President Sydney Zulich cited inaccurate matches and data sharing. The ordinance now goes to Mayor Kerry Thomson for her signature, and the release said the vote margin is enough to override a veto. As of publication, Flock Safety had not issued a public response to this vote in the sources we reviewed.
Sources
- The Bloomingtonian
- City of Bloomington council packet (Oct. 14, 2026, Ordinance 2026-22 text)
- WBIW (agenda preview)
- Indiana Daily Student (ordinance introduced)
We summarize what the cited reporting says and link it so you can check us. Read our editorial standards; spot an error? See the corrections log.
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