YouTube video of Aug. 25, 2026 Ottawa County Board of Commissioners Meeting courtesy Ottawa County, Michigan
OLIVE TWP., MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Aug. 25, 2026) – What was not part of the agenda during Tuesday’s Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting may have been the most notable aspect of the business session.
During the two public comment periods, a number of persons brought up the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office use of Flock license plate reader cameras, which has been in place for the past two years. The issu”e of privacy concerns has grown as part of the ongoing national debate over the use of this surveillance tool, and Ottawa County Sheriff Eric DeBoer issued a statement following the meeting.
“I’ve been following the national conversation around this technology closely, and I think it’s important to say plainly: a lot of the concern being raised is based on misinformation or a genuine misunderstanding of what this system actually does. To be clear about that, it captures an image of a license plate already visible on a public roadway, the same information any deputy could lawfully observe and photograph without a warrant. It checks that plate against law enforcement databases for stolen vehicles, missing persons, and Amber Alerts, and notifies our office of a match. It does NOT run the plate with the Secretary of State to find the registered owner, it does NOT use facial recognition, it does NOT know who’s driving, it does NOT track where a vehicle is headed, and it is NOT used for traffic enforcement. Every search of our system requires a documented reason, and no enforcement action is ever taken based on an alert alone; deputies independently verify every hit before acting.
“Beyond what the technology itself can and can’t do, the other legitimate concerns people raise are the misuse, overreach, or lack of accountability of a system like this. These concerns are addressed by having a strong department policy governing the system and its usage, as well as by our office’s long track record as good stewards of this community’s trust. That’s not something I take for granted, and it’s exactly why I welcome scrutiny of how we operate rather than avoiding it.
“Since 2024, this technology has contributed to 124 arrests in Ottawa County, helped recover more than $906,000 in stolen property, and led to the recovery of 72 stolen vehicles and 11 illegally possessed firearms. It’s helped identify suspects in serious violent crimes, including assisting in the ongoing investigation of a shooting that injured five people, an armed robbery, multiple road-rage shootings, and a suspect facing a ten-count criminal sexual conduct charge, and helped bring home missing and endangered residents, including elderly community members and at-risk youth, safely and quickly. And it’s worth noting this technology doesn’t just point toward suspects. In at least one case, data from this system helped confirm a timeline that cleared a person as a suspect entirely. This tool can rule people out just as readily as it can generate a lead.
“I also want to address a separate and troubling trend directly. We have seen an uptick in the deliberate destruction and disabling of these cameras in recent weeks. I want to be clear that public debate about this technology is welcome. Destroying publicly funded property is a criminal act, not a form of protest, and it will not be tolerated. An arrest has been made in one recent camera destruction case. Captain Sparks will be releasing further details on that investigation shortly.
“I understand not everyone will agree with the use of this tool. But I’d rather have this conversation in the open, with real information, than let it happen based on assumptions about what the technology does or how we use it. I look forward to that discussion with the Board, and my office remains glad to answer any follow-up questions from residents in the meantime.” – Ottawa County Sheriff Eric DeBoer
In response to the public comment, Commissioner Joe Moss (R-Hudsonville) proposed that the matter should be considered further at a future dedicated workshop session, with Chairman Josh Brugger (R-Grand Haven) suggesting it would be in late September or early October.
DeBoer discussed his office’s use of Flock cameras during a July 24, 2026 monthly appearance on “WHTC Talk of the Town,” and he is slated to return on Friday, August 28, around 9:30 AM.
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