Akron police say three people are now facing felony charges after a wave of vandalism targeting the city’s network of Flock Safety license plate cameras.
Lt. Michael Murphy Jr. says that warrants were issued on October 2 and that officers arrested the suspects on October 22 in connection with camera damage on or around August 10.
Those accused of criminal vandalism (F4) are:
- Jess Petonic, 23, male – previously arrested in July for damaging a Flock camera and charged with vandalism and disrupting public services (both F4).
- Jackson Petonic, 20, male.
- Mahayla Osborne, 22, female.
The arrests follow months of damage and theft involving the controversial camera system.
According to police records and city authorities, more than one-tenth of Akron’s 145 Flock cameras have been destroyed or stolen since July. In total, 17 cameras have been affected, with eight already replaced at a cost of around $4,000.
Officers responding to outage and vandalism calls have discovered:
- Cameras spray‑painted or taped over.
- Wires cut.
- Solar panels pried loose from their brackets.
- Entire camera units removed from poles and presumed stolen.
According to authorities, the incidents were primarily centered in Goodyear Heights, Middlebury, Chapel Hill, and North Hill.
The incident occurred while Flock technology faced increased national scrutiny and local backlash. In Akron, a former cop was discovered to have used the system to scan his own license plate while on paid administrative leave, prompting some city authorities to ask for a halt or reconsideration of the program.
Despite the controversy and frequent attacks on the cameras, Murphy believes the system remains an important investigative tool.
“Flock cameras have played an instrumental role in a number of investigations, including homicides,” Lt. Michael Murphy Jr. explained.
Flock cameras do not provide standard live video, making it difficult for investigators to simply “roll tape” and determine who destroyed a unit. Instead, the system gathers license plate data and still photographs, forcing police to rely on additional evidence, like as adjacent surveillance cameras and witness information, when a Flock device becomes the target.
According to city officials, the Flock network is still operating as police investigate other vandalism claims and keep an eye out for any damage.
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