Kettering student sues Genesee County over Flock camera records request

GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - A college student is holding Genesee County to task, submitting a FOIA request for Flock documents regarding his vehicle. So far, he isn’t satisfied with what he’s received.

Michigan college student sues over Flock

Big picture view:

Flock cameras are a major topic of debate right now. A college student is trying to find out in a new lawsuit, are they helpful, or are they not?

Joshua Tewolde is a student at Kettering University. He filed a lawsuit against Genesee County for not fulfilling the entirety of his Freedom of Information Act request, says his attorney, Steve Delie with the Mackinac Center Legal Foundation.

The lawsuit states that in February 2026, Tewolde submitted a FOIA request seeking the county’s policy regarding Flock, the county’s contract with Flock, audit logs showing who had access to the system, the location of all Flock cameras in the county and any images captured of his own vehicle.

What he received: the county contract and county policies, attorney Delie says.

What they're saying:

So, his goal was to get everything he requested.

"Josh is a remarkable young man. He’s been interested in this technology for some time," said Delie. "He’s actually built his own automatic license plate reader as part of a senior project in high school. But, as you know, Flock is subject to a very intense public debate right now. And in order to have an informed debate about whether we should use Flock in our communities or not, we really need to understand how the system works, how actual communities are deploying the system. Without the information that Josh is seeking, that debate can’t be an informed and meaningful one."

FOX 2 reached out to Genesee County. This is what they had to say:

"Genesee County is aware of the complaint. As a matter of practice, the county does not comment on the specifics of pending litigation. The county will respond to the complaint through the appropriate legal processes."

The Full Complaint

You can read the full complaint below:

What is a Flock Camera?

Flock cameras are described as automated license plate readers owned by Flock Safety. They use AI to read and record license plates and vehicle details. Though they appear on Metro Detroit roads, some also can be seen in parks and trails where vehicles don't normally go.

They are not hard to spot as you drive down roads like Woodward, Telegraph, or even a small side street. They normally sit on black or gray poles with a camera strapped to the side. A big giveaway is the small solar panel at the very top.

Some residents in Metro Detroit say they're an effective law enforcement tool. However, others say they're too invasive. 

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