Council weighs education and enforcement for scooters and confirms limited law-enforcement sharing of camera data

Residents and council members pressed the city on May 18 to address safety and enforcement for electric scooters, e-bikes and other small motorized vehicles, especially in the downtown square where pedestrian traffic is concentrated.

Several speakers, including Kelly Snider, urged a zero-tolerance enforcement approach and proposed confiscation of devices used unsafely, combined with mandatory education before return. "I'm a zero tolerance person on this," Snider said, offering to work with the city and schools on an education program.

City staff said they will expand a public-education campaign titled "what you can ride where," coordinate with the police department and the communications coordinator to post clearer guidance on social media and at schools, and intensify downtown enforcement under a zero-tolerance policy. Staff warned enforcement requires personnel and that enforcement will be prioritized where violations are concentrated.

Separately in the meeting, council members raised questions about nondisclosure agreements and about sharing of Flock (license-plate reading) camera data. Staff stated that Flock camera access is shared with designated law-enforcement partners for official investigations and, during the discussion, named two federal partners the city shares with: U.S. Postal Inspectors and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Officials said the city does not share Flock data with ICE or Border Patrol and that individual officer access is logged for auditability.