Oklahoma City Council members received death threats after voting to renew the city's Flock Safety contract, Ward 5 Councilman Matt Hinkle said Sept. 1.

Hinkle told fellow council members the threats targeted them and their families after the council's 5-3 vote Aug. 18 to approve a one-year, $270,000 contract renewal for the license plate reader system.

"Some of us got death threats to us and our families, which is very unacceptable," Hinkle said, according to FOX 25. "Threats of physical violence on basically a group of volunteers is very unacceptable. … If you're going to come up here and be mad, and you don't win, grow up and walk away and figure out another way, but don't threaten us."

No police report, official investigation or independent confirmation of the threats has surfaced beyond Hinkle's disclosure. It is not clear how many council members were targeted or whether the Oklahoma City Police Department (OKCPD) is investigating.

The Aug. 18 vote drew intense public opposition. About 30 residents signed up to speak before the vote, and not one voiced support for the contract, according to The Oklahoman. Audience members booed after the vote was finalized.

Mayor David Holt, Ward 1 Councilman Bradley Carter, Ward 3 Councilwoman Katrina Avers, Ward 4 Councilman Todd Stone and Hinkle voted in favor. Ward 2 Councilman James Cooper, Ward 6 Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon and Ward 7 Councilman Camal Pennington voted against. Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher did not vote.

Hinkle told the council his ward has only two city-owned Flock cameras but 40 private Flock cameras in Ward 5 neighborhoods. The city operates about 90 cameras total. Businesses own roughly 100 more within city limits, according to KOCO 5.

The renewed contract includes several privacy changes. Data retention drops from 30 days to seven days. OKCPD must now approve any data sharing with other agencies, and the city's data has been removed from a nationwide sharing platform. Immigration-related and reproductive rights searches are blocked.

Police Chief Ron Bacy told the council Aug. 18 that the system has helped recover 1,280 stolen vehicles and aided homicide investigations since OKCPD began using the readers in 2014.

FOX 25 separately confirmed two instances of Flock cameras being used for inappropriate purposes inside the police department.

Carter posted a statement on social media Aug. 19 explaining his yes vote. He said he believed continuing the contract "for 1 more year with stronger safeguards, accountability, and oversight was the responsible decision," according to FOX 25's report on his statement.

At the Aug. 18 meeting, Hamon said she remained opposed despite the new restrictions. "It deeply concerns me that this was not much of a concern to them before," she said of Flock's privacy updates, as KOSU reported.

Activist Elisa Standridge suggested recall efforts at the Aug. 18 meeting, noting several yes-voting council members face re-election in February.

The one-year contract runs from the July 1 approval date.