COLUMBUS, Ohio (WOWO) — An Ohio reproductive rights organization is raising concerns that automated license plate readers used by Columbus police could potentially be used to track people traveling to the city for abortion care.

The concerns were raised during a Columbus City Council hearing earlier this month focused on the city’s use of Flock cameras, which capture vehicle information and license plates and can be used by law enforcement to investigate crimes and locate suspects or missing people.

Abortion Forward Deputy Director Jaime Miracle urged council members to end Columbus’ contract with Flock and remove the city’s automated license plate readers, arguing the technology could create a way for law enforcement in states with abortion restrictions to identify people who traveled to Ohio for care.

“Ensure that people coming to our city to get the abortion care they need are protected from vindictive and intrusive investigation and prosecution by their home state,” Miracle said during the Aug. 10 hearing. “The only way to make that happen is to end the contract with Flock and permanently remove all ALPRs.”

The issue is emerging amid broader scrutiny of Flock’s license plate-reader network in Columbus, including questions about privacy and the sharing of information with other law enforcement agencies according to WCMH.

Miracle argued that Columbus already has a policy intended to protect people seeking abortion care.

In 2022, while Ohio’s six-week abortion ban was in effect, Columbus City Council approved a resolution stating that city funds would not be used to provide another governmental agency with information about an abortion or to conduct surveillance or collect information for the purpose of determining whether an abortion had occurred.

Miracle said the city’s continued use of Flock cameras conflicts with that commitment.

“The contract with Flock and the use of ALPRs violate these commitments made by city leaders,” she said.

She also said at least one automated license plate reader is located within a mile of each abortion clinic in Columbus.

The concern is particularly significant for people who travel across state lines for reproductive health care.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, states were left to establish their own abortion laws. Ohio’s six-week abortion ban briefly took effect before an Ohio judge put it on hold. In November 2023, Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights in the state.

That has made Ohio a destination for some patients from states with stricter abortion laws.

According to data cited by NBC4, nearly 21% of abortions performed in Ohio in 2025 involved patients from outside the state.

Miracle pointed to a 2025 case in Texas as an example of how license plate-reader information could potentially become part of an abortion investigation.

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in Texas conducted a nationwide search of more than 83,000 Flock cameras during an investigation involving a self-managed abortion. The prosecutor ultimately decided not to file charges.

Miracle argued that the incident demonstrates the potential reach of a nationwide network of license plate readers.

She also raised concerns about Columbus police sharing Flock information with law enforcement agencies in states where abortion is banned or restricted.

According to the Columbus Police Department’s Flock transparency portal, Miracle said Columbus has shared data with agencies in states including Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Texas.

She also cited data indicating Columbus police shared information with agencies in Alabama and South Carolina, two states she said have had high numbers of prosecutor-initiated cases involving pregnant individuals.

The Columbus Division of Police disputes the suggestion that its Flock system is being used to investigate reproductive care.

In a statement to NBC4, the department said it has had a filter in place since December specifically designed to prevent searches related to reproductive care.

“The Division has enabled a filter since December that is designed to filter out searches related to reproductive care,” the department said.

Police also said there is no indication that the criminal cases referenced by Miracle obtained information from the Columbus Division of Police.

The department’s position is that the technology remains an important crime-fighting tool.

Columbus police have previously said Flock cameras have helped investigators solve crimes, including approximately 60% of the city’s homicides last year, according to NBC4.

That puts the city in the middle of a larger debate over the benefits and risks of automated license plate readers.

The cameras can record information about vehicles passing through an area, allowing investigators to search for vehicles associated with criminal investigations. Supporters argue the technology can provide detectives with leads that would otherwise be unavailable.

Privacy advocates, however, have questioned how long information is retained, who can access it and whether data collected for one purpose could later be used for another.

The abortion debate adds another layer because someone traveling to Columbus for reproductive health care could potentially have their vehicle captured by a camera without knowing the information was recorded or how it might be accessed.

The legal landscape also varies from state to state.

It is generally legal for someone living in a state where abortion is prohibited to travel to another state where abortion is legal to obtain the procedure. However, some states have enacted laws targeting assistance provided to minors who cross state lines for abortions without parental consent.

Idaho and Tennessee, for example, have laws addressing assistance to pregnant minors traveling across state lines to obtain abortion care.

Miracle’s concerns therefore center not only on what Columbus police themselves might do with Flock data, but also on what could happen if information is shared with outside agencies.

The Columbus Police Department says its reproductive-care search filter is intended to prevent that type of use.

Miracle questioned whether such a filter provides enough protection. She argued that an officer seeking information for an improper purpose could potentially select a different search justification.

Columbus City Council has not voted to terminate the city’s Flock contract or remove the automated license plate readers.

The Aug. 10 hearing was intended to gather community feedback, and no decision regarding the future of the cameras had been made as of Thursday.

The debate puts two competing concerns directly against each other: Columbus police say Flock cameras have become a significant investigative resource, while reproductive rights advocates say the same technology could create a surveillance trail for people seeking abortion care in Ohio.

For now, the cameras remain in operation while city officials consider the concerns raised by residents and advocacy organizations.

The Columbus Police Department maintains that its safeguards prevent searches related to reproductive care, while abortion rights advocates say the possibility of information being accessed or shared across jurisdictions is itself a reason to end the program.