Aaron Ley is a Democratic member of the Bristol, Rhode Island, Town Council, first elected in 2018, and a professor at the University of Rhode Island. He is an Army veteran and is running for reelection in 2026.
Case
Networked automated license-plate cameras can assemble searchable records of vehicle movements. Candidates and officials disagree over whether to ban the systems, keep them with limits, or defend them as investigative tools. This tracker separates outright bans from narrower restrictions.
Role at the time: Bristol town councilor (D) running for reelection
Statement summary
Bristol Town Councilor Aaron Ley said he voted against the Flock camera because the state owns it and manages its database without local oversight, and that state legislation could create a framework against misuse.
“Our council did pass this. I voted against it, but our council did pass the most stringent ordinance in Rhode Island. Warwick did have an ordinance in place before us, so they were there first. The problem is that the Flock cameras we installed here are not Flock cameras owned by us. The state owns the Flock cameras installed here, and the state manages the database. We have no control over how they’re using that database. That was what concerned me most: Whatever is happening over there, we have absolutely no oversight over what they can do with it. So one way to address that is state legislation. If state legislation can address that, then we might be in a better spot with a regulatory framework to ensure that type of system isn’t misused.”
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Ley voted against the state police camera because Bristol has no oversight of the state's database, but says state legislation that sets a regulatory framework could address that concern. Opposition tied to missing oversight, with an opening for regulated use, is Mixed or conditional.
Statement dates: September 24, 2026
Statement dates: September 24, 2026
Statement dates: September 24, 2026
Statement dates: September 24, 2026
