WTF?! Reports of people destroying or vandalizing Flock cameras have become frequent enough that authorities are attempting sting operations to catch perpetrators. However, one Florida case might test the limits of the strategy, as the subject did not technically destroy a camera.
News 6 Orlando reports that police in Oviedo, Florida, have charged a man with three felonies for destroying a Flock surveillance camera, even though the camera was fake. Even the mayor, who was unaware of the decoy operation before the arrest, admitted the charges are controversial.
Evan Meyer, 24, faces counts of criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage, grand theft involving property valued between $750 and $5,000, and damaging or taking a computer, electronic device, or related equipment. However, although Meyer believed he was destroying a real Flock camera, which he estimated might cost up to $5,000 to install, what he actually destroyed was a 3D-printed decoy that was likely far cheaper. Police also said a Flock camera actually costs only around $800, not including installation fees.
Mayor Megan Sladek condemned Meyer's actions but admitted that she was unaware of the sting operation and that Oviedo's council recently agreed to consider ending its contract with Flock. Many of the approximately 6,000 communities in the US that use the company's AI-powered surveillance cameras have either deactivated them or are considering doing so.
Flock cameras primarily read vehicle license plates and automatically input them into a searchable cloud-based database, allowing authorities to track people's movements. However, they have also been used to track people on foot, can theoretically track phones, and dozens of officers have been caught using them to stalk ex-partners. HaveIBeenFlocked.com lets users check whether officers have searched for their license plates and contains other resources about the deployment of automatic license plate readers.
After several of Oviedo's cameras disappeared, authorities planted a decoy and waited until they caught Meyer removing it with pruning shears while wearing black clothing, gloves, and a face mask. Sladek, a lawyer who works part-time as mayor, later told 404 Media that even if the felonies do not stick, Meyer could still theoretically be charged with vandalizing art. A police spokesperson told the outlet that an officer printed the decoy at home using a personal 3D printer, so it did not cost the city any money.
