He’ll repeat himself as many times as he must.
“If you haven’t done anything wrong, don’t worry about the Flock cameras.”
That’s what Belmont County Sheriff James Zusack says – over and over – and what he believes because the cameras connected to the automated license plate reader system have already helped him and his deputies track down lawbreakers in East Ohio.
The cameras, already deployed by the Sheriff’s Office and several other law enforcement agencies across the county, capture images of license plates and vehicle characteristics, including the vehicles make, model, and color. Those who support the installation and use of the cameras like Sheriff Zusack does insist the technology is an investigative tool that assists investigators with everything from hit-and-run reports to locating missing persons.
“We’ve had some pretty good cases solved already because of the help from the Flock cameras,” the sheriff revealed. “That’s why I keep explaining that the cameras are another tool for us to help keep Belmont County safe. It’s a pretty big tool, too, and the system is nice to have.
“When it comes to looking up vehicles, the Flock can collect the license plate number along with the name of the registration, but we all know how cars are; anybody can have a car and have somebody else drive it, so the information we collect from witnesses is still very important,” Zusack explained. “That’s why I believe (the people of) Belmont County should feel safer having Flock.”
According to Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron, two automated license plate readers have been operational in Ohio County for several months. The installation of the cameras in Belmont County, though, has sparked debate that’s pitted public safety against public privacy.
Zusack, however, sees it as simple.
“I don’t think people should feel paranoid because the Flock cameras are up, but I also say that if you’re not doing anything wrong, you shouldn’t have to worry about them,” Zusack said. “We’re not interested in people who haven’t committed crimes. We see these cameras as a tool to help us take care of the people of Belmont County.
“I’m not sure how many Flock cameras are now operational in Belmont County, but I do know the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office has installed close to 10 of them so far,” he confirmed. “We’ve placed ours in strategic locations, and different agencies have different numbers of cameras, too. Certain jurisdictions have their own, but we can utilize all of the Flock cameras in Belmont County.”
Shared Explanation
Local attorney Michael Shaheen founded the Shaheen Law Group, LLC, in 1997, and he also serves as the Solicitor for both the Village of Bethesda and the Village of Bridgeport.
After Flock cameras were installed in Bridgeport, including one that’s located directly across U.S. Route 40 from the village’s new Sunnyside dispensary, Shaheen posted the following on his law group’s Facebook page last week:
From Attorney Michael J. Shaheen:
Attention Ohio Valley Residents / Flock Safety Cameras
You may have seen all of the buzz recently on social media concerning cameras installed throughout our communities, and in particular, the Village of Bridgeport. As the Solicitor for the Village of Bridgeport, I am very familiar with this camera system. A similar system is also in use in the City of St. Clairsville.
Based upon numerous comments, it is clear that there is a lot of misinformation and/or uninformed comments regarding the installation and use of the Flock Safety Camera system. The purpose for this post is to try to alleviate any concerns by our citizens and residents here, in the Ohio Valley, while also dispelling any incorrect or inapplicable rumors or comments.
The Flock cameras are in essence automated license plate readers (ALPR). They are cameras made by an entity known as Flock Safety. They are primarily used by law enforcement agencies throughout the country to help investigate crimes and monitor vehicle activity. When a vehicle passes a Flock Safety Camera, the system has the ability to record:
(1) License plate;
(2) Vehicle make and model;
(3) Vehicle color;
(4) Distinguishing features, such as roof rack, decal, dent, temp tag, etc.; and
(5) Time and location of the sighting.
The system then allows for the information to be automatically uploaded to a searchable database that law enforcement investigators can use, if necessary, at a later date. Law enforcement agencies have successfully used Flock cameras to:
(1) Locate stole vehicles;
(2) Track vehicles connected to crimes;
(3) Investigate burglaries, assaults, robberies, and hit-and-runs;
(4) Assist with abduction cases;
(5) Receive alerts when a wanted or stolen vehicle passes the camera; and
(6) Reconstruct a suspect vehicle’s travel route after a crime occurs.
The Flock Safety Camera system does help law enforcement solve crimes in a quicker manner because investigators can search for a vehicle, even if they only know its color, make, or some physical, visual characteristic. As an example, Flock cameras in Belmont County have already served to locate runaway children that were in danger, recover stolen vehicles, and rescue a victim of human trafficking. The public should realize that these cameras are not being utilized for traffic enforcement, do not issue citations, and are not in any way intended to cause anxiety or concern for any law-abiding citizen.
It is our hope that the above information clears up any concerns for the citizens or residents of the Ohio Valley, and in particular, the Bridgeport, Ohio area.
The sheriff of Belmont County was impressed with the shared information.
“Mr. Shaheen put out what I thought was a pretty good description,” Zusack said. “The Flock cameras are very helpful to us as far as criminals go. We can put descriptions of vehicles in the Flock system and basically know where these vehicles may have gone after a crime or during a crime.
“If we’re looking for somebody who committed a crime, the system can help,” he said. “So basically, if you haven’t committed a crime, I don’t think you have much to worry about. This is not spying on people or anything like that. This is a big tool for us, the cost for them comes out of our general budget, and I feel they are well worth the expense.
“The information collected by the cameras helps us out immensely, and the cameras have proven to help us out in Belmont County already.”
On several occasions since early 2025, Zusack has praised his detectives for using new technology that’s helped discover electronic evidence in the case involving the murders of Thomas and Angela Strussion in September 2021.
So, as new tech comes into play, new tech will be used.
“The Flock cameras represent new technology, and we’re going to use new technology if it can help us, period. That’s it, end of story,” Zusack said. “And I’ll repeat as often as I have to – if you haven’t done anything wrong, don’t worry about the Flock cameras.
“Some folks have asked me, ‘What do you think about the Flock camera that’s right across the street from the new dispensary in Bridgeport?’ My reply has been, ‘There’s a lot of money and a lot of product in a dispensary, so that’s why the village put it on there.
“These cameras are about gathering information that lets us best protect our residents, and I hope people will come to understand that fact.”
