Flock cameras are getting destroyed, and police are using the data to hunt vandals
License plate reader (LPR) cameras from the major surveillance company Flock Safety are being vandalized across the US.
Lance McMillan via Getty Images
License plate reader (LPR) cameras from the major surveillance company Flock Safety are being vandalized across the US.
In Suffolk, Virginia, Jeffrey Scott Sovern allegedly destroyed 13 AI-powered cameras between April and October.
Sovern faces 13 felony destruction charges but has pleaded not guilty, arguing that LPR systems are unconstitutional and accused Flock of building “an unhealthy surveillance state.”
Investigators say solar panels tied to Flock cameras were found during a search warrant at his home. Similar incidents range from theft and tampering to cameras being shot or cut down, according to Gizmodo.
In Eugene and Springfield, Oregon, at least six cameras were severed from poles, with a note left behind capturing the hostility:
Hahaha get wrecked ya surveilling f—s.
Flock data catches Flock vandals
Audit logs show law enforcement frequently uses Flock data to investigate vandalism against Flock devices. The logs were obtained through public records requests and published by HaveIBeenFlocked.com.
On February 13th, the Defiance County Sheriff’s Office searched the system, noting “flock camera got shot,” with some searches typically spanning hours and others sweeping across days of nationwide data.
In one Indiana case, nine searches examined data from roughly 94,000 cameras, and in another, in Brunswick County, Virginia, a query for “Missing flock camera” reviewed data from 21,300 cameras.
Flock’s network allows agencies to search plates captured beyond their jurisdiction, underscoring critics’ concerns about scale.
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License to destroy
Flock Safety says it is “proud to support agencies across the country” while taking device damage seriously.
Haveibeenflocked.com site creator Chris van Pelt claims that Flock used a third party to pressure his hosts, calling the logs an alleged “immediate threat to public safety.”
Flock has advised agencies to be “as vague as permissible” when reporting audit logs, while proposed Arizona legislation aimed at blocking the release of LPR data via public records requests has sparked transparency concerns.
Some camera destruction incidents were accidents, like drivers hitting poles, but many were deliberate acts of vandalism. Communities nationwide are pushing back, canceling contracts, and debating whether Flock is a crime-fighting tool or a surveillance overreach.
Jeffrey Scott Sovern promotes civic action. “Reach out to their communities to take these down,” he urges.
