Police officers in Houston, Texas, have found several damaged Flock license plate reader cameras.
“Two Flock cameras were found cut in half and spray-painted,” ABC13 Houston reports.
One now has an American flag on it.
“This camera has been cut down, completely sprayed over with an American flag on it,” ABC13 Houston reporter Sarah Al-Shaikh said.
“And not far away, there is another Flock camera on the ground,” she added.
They put an AMERICAN FLAG over the destroyed camera This is happening in the Carolinas in Georgia as well "This camera has been cut down with an American flag on it. Another Flock camera is on the ground a block away."
“A criminal justice expert tells me this could be a sign of the growing public unease with this type of video surveillance,” Al-Shaikh said in another video.
In another report, ABC13 Houston said residents are asking commissioners to cancel the Flock Camera contract.
“I’m concerned that these cameras increase the risk of mass surveillance, loss of privacy, exposure of personal data, and potential false arrests,” one resident said, according to the outlet.
More Flock cameras cut down in Houston amid some privacy concerns
More license plate-reading Flock cameras have been cut down in Houston. Earlier this week, ABC13 reported on two Flock cameras vandalized near Washington Avenue and Westcott.
Now, two more have been found on the ground near Memorial Park.
The damage comes as questions continue over the growing use of this surveillance technology in public spaces.
Houston Police confirmed an investigation into this.
While the motive is unknown, the technology itself has drawn criticism in the past from people concerned about the data it's collecting.
"What level of frustration have we encountered?" asked Texas Southern University Professor Howard Henderson.
Henderson, the founding director of the Center for Justice Research, said the backlash reflects broader concerns over privacy and who ultimately has access to the information these cameras collect.
"For many in society, they're looking at what the negative unintended consequences may be if this information gets leaked or someone uses it and finds themselves in the wrong hands," Henderson said.
A crowdsourced map from DeFlock showed thousands of Flock cameras across the Greater Houston area.
Because anyone can submit locations, ABC13 cannot independently verify the data shown, but we know that multiple law enforcement agencies use the cameras.
Houston expanded its use of the technology through a multi-million-dollar agreement with Flock in 2022.
In that contract, HPD described the cameras as an investigative tool, writing that "All data from vehicles observed will be provided to HPD for further assessment in detecting vehicles wanted in suspicious or post-event investigations for law enforcement purposes."
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