Blue Ash's Flock surveillance camera network faces fresh scrutiny after a Sharonville police lieutenant was indicted for misusing the same technology to track someone he knew.

Lt. Walter Cordes, 48, was indicted Oct. 13 on one count of unauthorized use of a computer, cable or telecommunication property, a fifth-degree felony carrying up to a year in prison. Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said Cordes is the first law enforcement official charged with misusing the technology since she took office, WCPO reported.

Public records document at least 38 Flock camera locations in Blue Ash, according to the EFF Atlas of Surveillance. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, which had 75 Flock cameras covering county townships, terminated its program Oct. 2 after Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey cited residents' concerns about data access and privacy. Blue Ash remains among the shrinking number of local agencies still using the cameras.

What prosecutors allege

Cordes allegedly searched the Flock system 29 times between Dec. 19, 2024, and April 20, 2026, to obtain information about a person's whereabouts for personal reasons unrelated to law enforcement, according to Pillich. Investigators have not disclosed the person's identity or Cordes' motive.

The alleged misuse surfaced during a department audit in spring 2026. Sharonville Police Chief Jim Nesbit told Local 12 that new Flock features made auditing easier and that Cordes came forward during the review.

"We found that some use was not appropriate, and we addressed that," Nesbit said. "Through that process, Lt. Cordes came forward to share that he too had misused the system, and that's what led to the investigation."

Nesbit referred the case to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office in June. The grand jury returned its indictment Oct. 13.

Surrender and plea

Cordes surrendered Oct. 14 at the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office with his attorney, Stew Mathews, according to FOX 19. Mathews entered a written not-guilty plea on Cordes' behalf. Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Chief Magistrate Thomas O. Beridon approved a $1,000 bond at 10 percent, and a relative posted the $100 to secure Cordes' release.

His next court date had not been scheduled as of Oct. 15.

Cordes had been on paid administrative leave since early June, according to Nesbit. Sharonville Mayor Kevin Hardman said at the Oct. 13 city council meeting that Cordes was switched to unpaid leave that day and that the city's internal investigation would reopen.

Broader fallout

Sharonville plans to keep its 24 Flock cameras. Hardman called them invaluable at the council meeting.

But the indictment has fueled calls for state action. State Rep. Karen Brownlee, a Democrat from Symmes Township, told WLWT she wants the Ohio Department of Transportation to stop issuing permits for Flock cameras along state roads while lawmakers draft regulations. State Rep. Cecil Thomas, a former Cincinnati police officer, agreed a pause is warranted, citing public trust.

Ohio has no statutory cap on how long agencies retain license plate reader data and no state law restricting the sharing of that data with federal agencies, according to surveillance records compiled by MyTownView.

A separate Sharonville officer, Zach Jones, was disciplined in May for failing to properly document legitimate Flock searches, according to internal affairs records cited by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Jones was not charged with a crime.