The Bloomington City Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to ban automated license plate readers and third-party surveillance cameras.

The ordinance also bans surveillance cameras if the footage could be shared with any third party, including vendors and other government agencies, according to a press release. The ordinance does not ban closed circuit camera systems such as those used in city parks.

The ordinance now goes to Mayor Kerry Thomson for her signature. If Thomson vetoes the legislation, a two-thirds vote of the council could override.

In January, residents protested the use of Flock cameras for their potential to be used in immigration enforcement. On March 4, the council unanimously passed a resolution requiring a report on the city’s Flock contracts.

In April, Thomson announced that the city did not renew its Flock contract. Flock cameras originally were installed in Bloomington in 2024.

A contract for 11 LPR cameras was signed in February 2024, and was not renewed for the current year. The contract was canceled, according to the council's October 14 packet.

Four downtown cameras were contracted in September 2024. The council packet also states "for the four mobile trailers, there was a current agreement signed in October 2025 for $90,000 for two trailers."

City councilmember and co-sponsor of the ordinance Isabel Piedmont-Smith told WFIU News those 11 cameras have already been removed.

She said the city still has active Flock contracts for both the four downtown security cameras and the four mobile security systems.

Peidmont-Smith said the four mobile systems are in storage, and she does not think they are currently deployed. She said one of two things can happen for the four downtown security cameras: the administration could prove that the four cameras are not surveillance cameras as defined in the ordinance, or prove they are a closed-circuit system. However, she expects the cameras to be removed within 60 days, assuming the mayor signs the ordinance.

“We have to look at the ordinance and what we do here as the City of Bloomington, in the context of a federal government that has increasingly infringed upon the constitutional and civil rights of residents throughout the United States, and whose own agencies such as ICE have acted frankly unlawfully in multiple communities and have endangered lives and taken lives, and we need to do our part to protect our residents here in Bloomington from that government overreach,” Piedmont-Smith said. “And I think this ordinance is a big part of that.”

In July, Monroe County Commissioners voted to cancel the county’s contract with Flock Safety. Piedmont-Smith said those cameras have been deactivated or removed.

The Indiana University Police Department and the Indiana State Police also use license plate readers. Piedmont-Smith said the ordinance only covers the city, so cameras operated by other law enforcement agencies will not be affected.

In previous reports, the Bloomington Police Department and the Monroe County Sheriff’s office said Flock cameras have helped with solving crimes, including murders and rapes.

When WFIU News asked Piedmont-Smith if removal of these cameras will hamper the solving of crimes, she said “That is a concern but there are so many tools available to local law enforcement, and this is just one of many that can be used to help solve crimes and to help victims of crimes.”

One of the exemptions that was contentious in Wednesday’s meeting is allowing police to have body cameras, she said. She said those will still be allowed, as they are tools that aid in solving crimes and holding police accountable.

Piedmont-Smith said this ordinance is not the end of council concern about government surveillance. She said technology used for law enforcement and surveillance is constantly evolving, as is artificial intelligence. She said a comprehensive framework is needed for evaluating such technology and how it affects residents.

“I think you'll see more legislation coming in in the coming year as we try to get a handle on strict policies to make sure there's not government overreach and that the rights of our residents are protected,” she said.