Flock Camera Vandalism Continues Around America, While 100 Communities Reject ALPRs (clickorlando.com)
- Reference: 0184896408
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/08/08/059204/flock-camera-vandalism-continues-around-america-while-100-communities-reject-alprs
- Source link: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/07/flock-license-plate-readers-vandalized-across-central-florida-as-debate-over-surveillance-technology-continues
> All eight cameras were taken August 1, according to the Winona Police Department. A patrol officer first noticed the cameras had not sent any alerts in 24 hours. When officers checked the locations, they found the cameras had been cut from their poles and taken. The poles were left behind. Two additional Flock cameras on the Mississippi River Bridge, owned by Buffalo County, were also stolen in the same manner...
>
> The thefts are part of a broader national trend. Flock cameras have been vandalized and cut down in communities across the country.
When someone in Florida filmed a damaged Flock camera lying in the grass in Florida, their footage attracted 980,000 views on social media, according to [4]a local news report , with the uploader saying "Most of the people that are commenting are against Flock cameras." But that report adds it's one of at least five cameras recently damaged just in Florida:
- In another incident, investigators "found the black camera and its pole lying on the ground."
- Two days later, sheriff's deputies found a camera destroyed "with pieces scattered on the ground. Deputies reported the damage appeared to have been caused by a blunt object."
- On July 31, "Police said two camera poles had been intentionally cut in half, causing an estimated $10,000 in damage to the system."
In West Virginia 20-year-old Wesley Jackson has been arrested for allegedly vandalizing Flock cameras, with another 20-year-old (a university student) now arrested for being his accomplice, according to [5]a local news report . Ironically, Jackson's arrest was made possible partly by information from... automated license plate readers.
But the Washington Post notes there's now a flood of Facebook commenters [6]jokingly offering to provide a fake alibi :
> "Couldn't have been him — we were out counting blades of grass," said one of the 29,000 commenters on a [7]post about the arrest from the local news station WDTV. Others attested that the man, Wesley Jackson, had been helping them "replace the roof on a homeless shelter," "playing halo 2," "changing the tires" on their car or giving their "doggie a treat" at the time the cameras were destroyed.
Meanwhile, the anti-surveillance group DeFlock reports [8]100 communities have now rejected automated license plate readers. Wednesday an Arizona county sheriff explained to his local Board of Supervisors why he will not renew his office's contract with Flock when it expires next month. [9]Local Arizona media reports :
> "We have a camera system that can do facial recognition technology and can start building a data set on what our citizens are doing on a day-to-day basis," Teeple told supervisors. "That, in my training and experience, is a huge Fourth Amendment violation."
Recently an Arizona man even told his city council he'd be launching AI-powered satellites to monitor "where government officials go, where they stop, who they meet with, and when they return home," [10]reports 404 Media :
> It would be no different than how the city monitors its citizens using Flock cameras, he said... He said he'd already started compiling profiles on their vehicles, spouses vehicles, children's vehicles, and planned to combine that data with Bluetooth signals, advertising IDs, and commercial data sources, "so our authorized users can replay the movements of every government official and their immediate family," he said. Local businesses would be invited to join the network, to "protect" officials while they shop, eat at restaurants, and move around the city.
And CNET reports "a [11]quiet battle is happening across the US " between "towns working to adopt Flock Safety systems and those trying to ban them entirely."
> From major cities [12]like Los Angeles canceling its Flock contract to [13]towns wrapping Flock AI cams in plastic bags because Flock won't take them down, it's a wild time for surveillance and questions about government accountability.
[1] https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/flock-camera-north-texas-vandalism/287-6a161c9c-25ce-4ca9-85f7-7f2533f72955
[2] https://abcnews.com/US/officer-allegedly-flock-license-plate-cameras-track-boyfriends/story?id=135418955
[3] https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026/08/04/every-flock-camera-winona-minnesota-cut-down-stolen-coordinated-theft/
[4] https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/07/flock-license-plate-readers-vandalized-across-central-florida-as-debate-over-surveillance-technology-continues/
[5] https://www.wboy.com/news/crime/wvu-student-accused-of-destroying-flock-cameras/
[6] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/08/06/man-charged-with-destroying-flock-cameras-found-army-defenders-facebook/
[7] https://www.facebook.com/WDTV5News/posts/pfbid035cAcTcnrSDXHmhV5hDFbW6moeXktSzeDBinfoMxHBrVShfXjVX2Vyony2DRVUZpml
[8] https://deflock.org/council#wins
[9] https://ktar.com/arizona-news/pinal-county-sheriff-flock-cameras-concerns
[10] https://www.404media.co/casa-grande-arizona-flock-city-council/
[11] https://www.cnet.com/home/security/when-flock-comes-to-town-why-cities-are-axing-the-controversial-surveillance-technology/
[12] https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/los-angeles-lapd-flock-safety-surveillance-cameras-privacy/
[13] https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/cities-covering-flock-surveillance-cameras-with-trash-bags/
Taken too far (Score:5, Informative)
Trying to get a bit of nuance, I've never had an issue with gas station/bank cams and the like, and of course, we're all walking around with a tracking system in our pockets. Even my credit card use can be helpful if I need an alibi.
But the Flock thing takes it way too far. Grandpa Gas and convenience store does not have the ability, nor incentive, to put me behind bars, but Flock and its implementation is a system of people who count convictions as talking points for the next election cycle.
We already have a case - and I'm sure there are more - of a woman who came within inches of being killed because of a wrong ID. Hauled out of her vehicle at gunpoint. Twice.
So the Flock Cameras are a tool of people who make mistakes, don't correct them , do not care to correct them, and are supported by a system that uses arrests and convictions as swag. What could go wrong?
BotOx (Score:3)
So darkox was making pro russia posts as far back as the mid 2010s just an interesting FYI
Re: (Score:3)
Most people just don't want to be spied on by entities unknown for no good reason at all. Or, as one of your forefathers allegedly opined, they prefer their freedom to surveillance for more "safety".
But in every society there are "those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety". A naturally intelligent MAGAt like yourself, who thinks short-term, doesn't see much farther than own nose and fails to grasp the point of people needing privacy and not being suspect by default is
Re: (Score:2)
I am not writing in support of flock cameras. You and Compact Disk Reader are are deeply stupid. I don't even know where to start. You all can call me whatever names you want and brigade with your disagree mods but it does not change the fact that everything you support hands dangerous people more power.
You fools can run around going derp derp derp "flock" all you like but at the end of the day. Even if you get them taken down, big if, Target corporation and friends will just put them up. Someone will b
Re: (Score:2)
Look up WAMI. Been going on since Afghanistan, and the technology has [1]come home. [spatialintelligence.ai]
[1] https://www.spatialintelligence.ai/p/the-secret-camera-that-can-rewind
Re: (Score:2)
You can call everyone stupid as much as you want but if your solution is "no license plates" and limiting public photography in public spaces you way as well be proposing we all get some Tinkerbell fairy dust and float ourselves to work.
Re: (Score:2)
You're writing in support of surveillance state, dear, and it is obvious. You call the people who don't like being monitored "criminals" or "paranoid", it is right there in your post. And when you've got nothing to reply with, you open your Sean Connery mouth.
But I like how you've accepted that corporate totalitarianism is inescapable and how you insult the communities who try to get rid of surveillance through democracy.
In short, you were unable to put up a reasonable counterpoint, so you erupted in profan
Re: (Score:2)
> Most people just don't want to be spied on by entities unknown for no good reason at all. Or, as one of your forefathers allegedly opined, they prefer their freedom to surveillance for more "safety".
And considering what is happening, it appears not many agree with him. I noted I have no issues with businesses having cameras. They have a reason, be it theft, liability, or other things that might happen. But widespread surveillance of everyone without a reason is pretty INGSOC'ish. I mean if total surveillance in the name of stopping crime is a good acceptable things, and as he notes, he finds false positives also acceptable, we better put cameras inside houses, a lot of crimes occur inside private hom
Re: (Score:2)
The issue is the searchable record generated from a interconnected network. There's been proven middle ground in many other places where there's a set of records that require a warrant to look up. Just like the phone company makes a record of calls for billing, but a warrant is needed there.
The non-digital analog is pretty clear where no one would think it an invasion of privacy to see your neighbor at the grocery store. But it'd be pretty creepy if you posted a mass of people around the whole country that
Re: (Score:2)
> A lot of people are intentionally commiting crimes of various severity and they don't actually want police to have a more effective enforcement tool
This set of people is dwarfed into insignificance be non-criminals who are also being caught on camera. And the problem with that isn't false positives, it's true positives: non-criminal John Doe's car was spotted at a certain place at a certain time, so let's make that fact available on the market. That way, we can target him with ads, increase his insurance pr
Re: (Score:2)
"Flock and its implementation is a system of people who count convictions as talking points for the next election cycle"
Close, it can easily be used to decide who gets to vote in the next election cycle. Does anyone, aside from some knuckle dragging Maggots, trust the current regime with that data?
Eight?? (Score:2)
> "Every Flock license plate reader camera operated by the Winona Police Department has been sawed off and stolen in what investigators believe was a coordinated theft, [...] All eight cameras were taken"
8? LOL! We had over SIX HUNDRED of those privacy-raping devices as of mid-last year in my metro area. Probably up to 700 by now.
Re:Eight?? (Score:4, Informative)
Sounds like the freedom fighters need to get busy then.
Re: (Score:1)
Your city is the frog that got boiled alive. Winona has people who are noticing what was happening and trying to jump out of the pot.
non-destructive (Score:2)
A rock, a string and a Dollar Store helium balloon.
Re: (Score:3)
> A rock, a string and a Dollar Store helium balloon.
With a politicians tag number taped to the balloon...
Over Reporting. Again. (Score:2)
Flock is probably installing hundreds of cameras per day, across the county. A measly 8 cameras get taken down and it's "big" news?
I'm all in favor of the complete elimination of Flock and all its ilk. But if you think these insignificant, yet touted, events mean anything, you're fooling yourself. Flock is consuming America like an incoming tide. Government bodies want it. A few pearl clutchers want it. The bulk of the population is indifferent, if they are even aware. And the small few nay sayers and vanda
Re: (Score:3)
It seems like the only the dramatic Flock camera destructions where they're being cut down or dragged away by a truck are really getting reported. The ones where they are being silently destroyed by pointing a high power green laser at the camera sensor are not.
I can imagine that Flock doesn't want people to know about how easily they can be disabled, so they aren't really reporting that on the news.
very large anti-static pouches (Score:1)
While the city that is placing plastic bags over the cameras is making a step in the right direction by blocking the view of the camera it does nothing for the rest of the system, namely the electronic tracking aspect. Placing a large mylar type anti-static bag over the camera would probably work better in that it should block the electronic portion of the system also.
I wonder if a military/police dazzeler and a radio signal jammer would be effective also.
Re: (Score:2)
Actively jamming radio signals is a violation of federal law. It's not necessary, as you point out a mylar bag should do the job. If it doesn't there's a variety of types of foil-lined bags, or you could easily make bags with aluminum screen mesh. The camera is the primary tracking problem though, that's the principal sensor. Audio is also a problem but not on the same level.
Re: (Score:2)
Actively jamming with radio signals is a violation of federal law, not physical "jamming". Also note, all radio devices also have to accept other radio interference at the same time.
Re: very large anti-static pouches (Score:1)
Yes you are correct about jamming being a violation of the FCC. While I agree two wrong do not make a right. Isn't cutting down and destroying property (the systems) a violation of a law also?, interfering with law enforcement by obstructing the cameras view, and what about the constitutional violations created by mass surveillance or a searchs of persons, place or things without probable cause?
Lesser invasive systems have been deemed anti-constitutional like plain old traffic light cameras over the years a
SlashFlock (Score:2)
SlashFlock
News for the observed, Stuff that's captured
The amount of gold in the cameras (Score:3)
I think a part of the issue is the amount of gold and other precious minerals in the cameras.
People are using AI to find out about the cameras and the AI is scrapping comments like this and telling people about the gold. Then people take down the cameras to look for the gold.
Re: (Score:2)
An copper. You really don't need to risk getting caught, just make sure all the local tweekers know there's a ton of copper in those things.
Politicians don't care what citizens want... (Score:2)
People still believe the US is a democracy. It's not. Politicians are owned by companies and do their bidding.
flock (Score:3)
ARM-up folks. Flock cameras are a "tea", meant for the harbor. As patriotic citizens set upon by greedy merchants, bought-out government and sociopathic police ... see off the Flock.
Incognito. (Score:2)
And the obvious is going to happen. Cameras will become harder to spot.
Conditions of acceptance (Score:2)
If the police were 100% trustworthy and the tech was used ONLY for the most serious crimes, I would be a supporter.
Sadly, neither condition is true.
Re: (Score:2)
> If the police were 100% trustworthy
It's like Chris Rock said... "You can't have good cops who support and protect bad cops. Because as long as that happens, there only exist bad cops."
They will just take over the state governments (Score:2)
And then override the locals. Every time they want to do something people don't want that's how they do it. They have a name for it they call it government small enough to drown in a bathtub.
The Epstein class wants a government that can control you and they're going to get it. It'll be just big enough that they can own it but not so big that they can't completely buy it wholesale. That's the problem with the federal government and why they want to undermine the federal government power. The federal gove
What a waste (Score:3)
Did politicians get the message that people don't want these yet? How much more money should be wasted and how many cameras need to be vandalized still?
Re:What a waste (Score:5, Insightful)
You're assuming that most politicians care what people want.
That's most important is what the corporations want. The value of a total surveillance state is a great secondary benefit for the fascists currently in power, too. You don't have to imagine being tracked down and harassed, if not outright prosecuted, for protesting or campaigning for the 'wrong team.'
=Smidge=
Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)
That applies to socialists just as well. The purpose of government is the acquisition and use of power. Who is in charge doesn't change that.
Re: (Score:3)
The only thing I can infer from your reply is that you do not understand what either (or both) "fascist" and "socialist" mean.
=Smidge=
Re: (Score:3)
Well it's weird you had to both sides this,
I'm sure most people here understand the implications of orwell but socialism gone wild isn't the global threat of the day the way fascism is at the moment.
Re: (Score:2)
You're saying workers coops want to acquire more power? That trade unions want cameras on every street corner?
I appreciate that half the people here, probably because they're American, think "socialismimsm means anything I don't like that involves the government" but that's not what it means. And the people self identifying as socialists in government right now, from AOC to Bernie, are not, actually, in favor of cameras on every street corner.
Some political parties, especially in Eastern Europe, identifying
Re: (Score:2)
What should we do about our socialized infrastructure?
Re: (Score:2)
Initial resistance like this is expected and nothing more than a speed bump to the people that want this. People who understand the dangers get tired, complacent, or if necessary harassed and convicted. People who don't understand get converted by propaganda or just by wanting to be part of 'their side' and argue in favor of these things (nothing to hide, think of the children, etc.).
Re: (Score:3)
> 90% of hijackings, including Lockerbee and 9/11, were government intelligent funded psychological operations. Even the shoebomber was basically put there by the FBI.
The government wishes it was even 10% as powerful as you imagine it to be.
millimeter scanning [Re:What a waste] (Score:2)
Interesting comment, but in fact, millimeter wave machines are well understood to be harmless (millimeter waves are non-ionizing), and while they may have false positives, the response to a positive in airport screening is not to arrest people, but to do search to see what caused the positive. Eliminating mm scanners would mean more, not less, intrusive scanning.
Re: (Score:2)
In the end the politicians don't give a fuck about what people want or being moral or anything like that. They have an agenda. They're acting the exact same way that conspiracy theorists have been claiming all politicians think like for decades, except it looks to me like now the conspiracy theorists have gotten into government they feel this is a way they have a right to act, rather than something they should be changing.
Add to that the rampant corruption in American politics that's always been there, but
The message [Re:What a waste] (Score:2)
> Did politicians get the message that people don't want these yet?
It's slightly more complicated than that. The problem is, "the people" are afraid of crime, and what they want is the police to have the tools to track down and arrest criminals. So the message the politicians get is a contradictory one: "give the police the tools to make our neighborhoods safe from crime! Whatever it takes!" and simultaneously "we don't want government surveillance!"
If you don't like it, you will need to convince people that civil liberties are more important than stopping crime.