r/ColumbusOhio

▲ 54 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

I dont understand how specific tax breaks can be given by Columbus to amazon. I hear "they'll create jobs"... yes..... because its being RIGGED for them and against other companies. How is this legal? This seems like the opposite of capitalism, basically funneling peoples money to amazon

abc6onyourside.com
u/worldpeace28 — 1 day ago
▲ 4.0k r/ColumbusOhio+8 crossposts

Flock Safety ALPR Network in Columbus Creates Continuous Pre-Crime Vehicle Tracking Database of All Drivers

Flock Safety Falcon automated license plate reader cameras capture every passing vehicle’s plate, make, model, color, and distinguishing features at fixed locations and upload the data to a searchable cloud database retained for 30 days by default. Deployed by Columbus Division of Police with more than 65 cameras and expanding, the system originates with Flock Safety and is funded in part by federal grants. The dual-use vector is that the same vehicle-fingerprint architecture enables real-time and historical mapping of every driver’s movements across the network, whether or not a crime has occurred. Established facts include nationwide scans exceeding 20 billion plates monthly and local audits showing thousands of immigration-related queries. Open questions remain on exact retention overrides and cross-agency access logs.

The technology interfaces with the public through passive roadway photography that requires no warrant or individualized suspicion. Marketed as a public-safety tool for solving violent crime and locating missing persons, the claim is partial: the system simultaneously builds a pre-investigated suspect pool of every motorist. Structural weak points include customer-controlled yet default-shared data pipelines that have allowed external agency searches, limited audit transparency, and the absence of mandatory warrants for pattern-of-life queries. These gaps expose Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches of movement data.

For residents this means every car trip is logged and available for retrospective investigation, inverting traditional policing in which a crime precedes the suspect list. The right in tension is privacy of public movements under Carpenter v. United States. The pattern follows earlier ALPR expansions that began as optional crime tools and hardened into baseline infrastructure through municipal contracts and grant funding. Left unexamined, the network spreads via low-friction camera additions and statewide data sharing that bypass independent oversight. Demonstrated: Columbus paused nationwide and statewide sharing after audits. Precedented elsewhere: over 55 localities have terminated Flock contracts. Foreseeable but not yet realized: permanent national vehicle movement dossiers.

Taken to scale, Flock establishes standing mass vehicle surveillance that leaves ordinary drivers with no practical opt-out. The interconnected threat pillars are continuous pre-crime data collection, multi-agency sharing, and eroded warrant requirements. Verify independently via Columbus City Council records and Flock’s own technical descriptions. To push back: contact Columbus City Council members before the December contract renewal, support ACLU and EFF ALPR litigation, and demand local data-retention and sharing ordinances. Further reading: ACLU guidance on community resistance and EPIC analysis of Fourth Amendment challenges.

Sources

https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2026-08-11/columbus-city-council-public-hearing-on-flock-cameras-voices-concerns-with-technology

https://www.wosu.org/politics-government/2026-08-10/flock-surveillance-cameras-are-watching-columbus-heres-what-to-know

https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/tracking-alpr-cameras/how-to-fight-deployment-of-flock-and-other-mass-surveillance-license-plate-readers-in-your-community

https://www.businessinsider.com/flock-cameras-license-plate-readers-explained-2026-8

https://www.flocksafety.com/what-is-flock

https://epic.org/vehicle-fingerprinting-through-pervasive-camera-surveillance-likely-violates-fourth-amendment-court-finds/

https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/city-council-hears-mixed-views-flock-cameras-data-access-hearing-columbus-ohio-emmanuel-remy-614-ice-watch-elaine-bryant-crime-immigration-missing-children

u/BananaBustelo-8224 — 3 days ago

What are reasons to why Columbus is a great city to live?

Visited once quickly but didn’t do much. Would like to visit again and who knows, maybe live there some time. What’s it like?

reddit.com
u/SwiftX_21 — 2 days ago

Want a denture or restore missing tteeth but want to keep it within your budget?

I am a dental student at OSU looking for anyone needing dentures or restore missing space.
I am gentle so have no fear.
Work at the dental school is usually half priced because it is a learning institution.
If interested please call +16143496332

reddit.com
u/Puzzleheaded_Fly_266 — 2 days ago
▲ 181 r/ColumbusOhio+3 crossposts

Urgent Shelter Adoption Needed

Hey everyone -

There is an urgent need for Linus at the shelter to be adopted. His card ends with “Linus needs to be adopted or have rescue commitment prior to 6pm on 8/21.” And it really concerns me what that might mean, so I’m hoping the Columbus subreddit can do its thing. It seems like he’s a really good dog who is just older and stressed the fuck out. Unfortunately he’s too big for me to have and I’m not sure my allergies would agree. I’m hoping someone on here will fall in love.

Franklin County Animal Shelter on Tamarack. Ok if a rescue takes him as well per listing.

trello.com
u/Heated-Opposition — 3 days ago
▲ 6 r/ColumbusOhio+2 crossposts

Interested in DISCOUNTED Invisalign?

Hi everyone! I’m a D3 dental student at OSU College of Dentistry looking for a patient interested in Invisalign at a discounted student rate.

Quick overview:  
-Initial screening to see if you’re a candidate  
-Intraoral scan: $54 before insurance/student discounts  
-If eligible, diagnostic records (exam, photos + X-ray if needed)  
-Treatment is planned and supervised by the orthodontic team

If you’re interested, fill out my form: [https://forms.gle/ksG6YdiJocvDDnW88\]

Or text me at 614-585-3396 with any questions!

u/Virtual_Love8191 — 2 days ago
▲ 12 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

Heavy police activity

Anyone have any idea about whats going on around cleveland ave? I passed around 20 cops and a helicopter has been circling the area for a good bit. #noseyneighbor

reddit.com
u/Creative-Tonight7528 — 3 days ago
▲ 23 r/ColumbusOhio+2 crossposts

Mobile Mechanic

Mobile Mechanic

Hey all! I am a mechanic with 15 years of experience across multiple brands including heavy duty vehicles, I have recently started doing mobile work outside of my regular flat rate shop job and am starting to go legit, I am still working on my website but if anyone needs any work done to their vehicles and want to give a new small business a chance feel free to DM me with your vehicle info and what you need for a quote. You can get your own parts or I can source them for you but I dont pad parts pricing for extra profit. I would love to eventually do this full-time but obviously need to build first so right now im only available in the evenings or on weekends. Thank you for your time and i appreciate any referrals and support 😎

reddit.com
u/MoonlightMobileAuto — 3 days ago
▲ 3 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

The 87 billion increase requested for the Iran war would be a waste of money. My proposition would be to take that money , end the war and give a $4,000 stimulus to each service member. This would only cost 8 billion dollars, so 10% of the continued cost of the war, and would stimulate the economy

Thoughts? It would definitely help in areas like central ohio

reddit.com
u/advisorer — 3 days ago
▲ 6 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

Working @ Arch City Tavern

Hello! I have a serious question about if working at arch city tavern on North High Street would be good money? I currently work at TopGolf in Polaris and it’s only good on Saturday and sometimes Friday.

Football season is coming up and I want to make the right decision on my schedule. I thought about mornings at TopGolf and nights at arch city tavern. I’ll be serving and training to bartend (which is great to learn and transfer skills later on). I’ve been trying to search up what it’s like to work there but there’s nobody who talks about what it’s like to work there.

reddit.com
u/GuestNeither3391 — 3 days ago

Apartment decision

For someone that prioritizes safety and cleanliness , what would you Columbus natives select out of the following - and I’m talking like when people talk about this apartment they go on and on about the safety and cleanliness : colony club, the view on fifth, bent tree Dublin, Times Square Dublin, the edge edge hill rd, Hilliard village , cortland Dublin . And if there’s some in this list I should immediately cross list which and why I want reasons and elaborations on I guess all in the list any and all help yall can offer is very much appreciated!!! Thank yall in advance — edit please note if any of these are notorious for break ins, car jacking , roach and mice infestations , black mold , etc

reddit.com
u/Training_External412 — 3 days ago
▲ 10 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

Nextdoor app - very dystopian change and a small group of people in Dublin are enforcing it

There has been a very dystopian rule change in the nextdoor application.
Theres a new rule to report people who are "promoting commerce"

Basically, the website / app now doesnt let you recommend a business more than once a month. Lets say someone asks for recommendations for an auto shop and you recommend one you go to. The next week, the same thing happens and you recommend that same business again. STRAIGHT TO JAIL. You've just violated the rules.

This is clearly a rule designed to strong arm businesses to have to pay to be advertisers on the nextdoor platform. That gives these business less money to pay to advertise through their local newspapers etc and instead the advertising dollars across the country all gets funneled to nextdoor.

The biggest problem with this is that it relies on neighbors screwing over neighbors. If people touch grass and stop enforcing these rules that are designed to increase ad $$$ for nextdoor, small businesses and word of mouth could still function on it. And most neighbors dont follow this dystopian rule. But in places like Dublin, Ohio, a small group of like 5 people that get a buzz off of reporting people make up probably 95% of the reports. And that small group of people, when they act in concert, can greatly influence what you can and cannot see

reddit.com
u/viewmyposthistory — 4 days ago
▲ 798 r/ColumbusOhio+2 crossposts

Buc-ee's files new lawsuit against another store, we need to call on the real OG to come to the fight

Buc-ee's has filled yet another lawsuit against another small business gas station for the save reasons as here in Beavercreek. I believe it's time we call on our childhood hero to finally come and claim what is rightfully theirs to make Buc-ee's lose their own trademark.

From the news article here:

https://www.wral.com/news/ap/bucees-sues-georgia-store-over-beaver-mascot-august-2026/

it states...

That lawsuit claims a number of trademark infringements, including that both logos are cartoonish, both are arbitrarily wearing hats, they both have white highlights on their eyes and nose, and that both characters show a glimpse of a red or pink tongue.

The lawsuit claims the name Teddy's is also an issue with alleged similarities to the Buc-ee's name in a number of ways, including that they are both two syllables with a hard consonant sound and that both end in the sound "eez."

To this I have to say:...

https://preview.redd.it/qnp9hbptuqhh1.png?width=326&format=png&auto=webp&s=9b70ea44b7fc60e1da70eb9ac9d086b811e0ef33

It's time for Charles Entertainment Cheese to come take back the circled rodent symbol for the people. They did it first.

reddit.com
u/travisjd2012 — 6 days ago
▲ 16 r/ColumbusOhio+2 crossposts

If you're looking for a space to come in from the weather tonight, plus you can get a drink and some laughs, there's an improv show at Combustion Brewery Clintonville at 7PM

eventbrite.com
u/jdllama — 3 days ago
▲ 0 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

Lewis Center?

What’s the vibe in Lewis Center?

We value an area with character, but also prioritize safety and good schools.

We are looking at a home there tomorrow and plan to be in this home as we start a family. This specific home is in Villages of Oak Creek.

Any cute local areas?
Any major data center development?
Any safety concerns?
Pros and cons of the area?

An area we really like is New Albany, but not a ton of inventory under 1 million out there haha

reddit.com
u/Dull_Lock_4480 — 6 days ago
▲ 2 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

Question for Atheists ONLY - do you think AI can become sentient, or do you think at the end of the day, its impossible, its a machine

reddit.com
u/worldpeace28 — 6 days ago
▲ 17 r/ColumbusOhio+1 crossposts

Columbus event for anyone who likes reggae/music history: Beyond Bob - Exploring the History, Sound & Soul of Reggae

Wanted to share this interesting Columbus event for anyone who's into music or music history.

The Siposium is doing a deep dive into reggae on Tuesday, August 18 from 7–9 PM at Columbus Brewing Company Beer Hall.

The premise is basically: you know Bob Marley, but how much do you actually know about reggae?

We're going into the Jamaican history and cultural influences behind the genre, the evolution of ska, rocksteady, roots reggae, dub and dancehall, the producers and musicians who shaped the sound, and reggae's influence on music around the world.

The speaker has spent 32+ years playing reggae with bands throughout Ohio, so there's a pretty strong personal/music perspective in addition to the history.

They'll also have a curated playlist for attendees to take home.

Tickets are $15 and the event runs 7–9 PM.

Event details/tickets: SimpleTix

Anyone here particularly into reggae, ska, dub or rocksteady? I'd love to hear what artists you think people should know beyond Bob Marley.

u/SeaRecording7297 — 4 days ago