A Sharonville lieutenant is charged with a felony for misusing Flock camera data, officials state.
Walter Cordes, 48, was indicted on one count of unauthorized use of a computer, cable, or telecommunication property. Cordes made 29 improper searches to track the vehicle of someone he knew between December 2024 through April 2026, according to a media release by the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
Plate-reading cameras allow law enforcement to track any vehicle's location without a warrant by capturing photos of its license plate. Over 1,100 cameras monitor the movement of Greater Cincinnati's residents.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office investigated, prosecutors stated.
Cordes' employment status was not immediately clear. He faces up to
one year in prison.
Sharonville's second recent Flock violation
In a separate case, Sharonville officer Zach Jones was disciplined in May for failing to properly document legitimate searches he made with Flock data, according to internal affairs records.
He was issued a letter of counseling after repeatedly entering a "single letter" in the dialogue box that asked him to explain his searches, records state.
"One notable example showed a query documented under an immigration-related reason when that wasnot the actual purpose of the search," records state.
Jones' improper use was discovered by journalists through public records requests, police records state. He was not charged with any crime.
Greater Cincinnati Flock programs end amid bipartisan pushback
Hamilton County Sheriff's Office announced on Oct. 2 it had completely cut ties with Flock Safety. "Internal audits confirm there has been no misuse of the system within our office," the office released in a statement.
It joins Newport, Erlanger, Fort Thomas and Independence in discontinuing their use of the cameras entirely.
Delhi Township police and Wyoming police have launched transparency websites amid pushback in recent months that list successful uses of Flock, including arresting a homicide suspect and finding a missing elderly man.
Meanwhile, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said he wouldn't apologize for allowing his department to use Flock cameras, calling them a necessary policing tool.
The Enquirer will update this story.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Sharonville lieutenant indicted on felony for Flock camera misuse
