Flock Camera Ripped Down in Grand Rapids, Reddit Reacts

Flock cameras aren’t exactly popular among with some Michiganders. The latest example comes from Grand Rapids, where local residents celebrated online after a Flock camera was torn down.

What is a Flock Camera?

Flock cameras and automated license plate readers that photograph and log passing vehicles to help law enforcement and communities develop investigative leads. The cameras capture time-stamped images along with details such as license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color, and distinguishing features, including bumper stickers or damage. Participating law enforcement agencies can store and search the data.

Critics of Flock cameras have raised concerns about Flock cameras, arguing that the automated devices record the travel patterns of ordinary motorists and store that information in a searchable database without getting a warrant.

Read More: License Plate Readers Face Vandalism

Another Flock Camera Goes Down, and Folks Are Celebrating

A Flock camera was torn down near 44th Avenue and Burlingame Avenue, and Reddit users in the Grand Rapids subreddit celebrated the takedown with plenty of jokes.

You have to love a good Samaritan offering up an alibi.

One Reddit poster joked that they would look the other way if they served as a juror on a Flock camera destruction case.

Residents may need to wear a hard hat when walking beneath Flock cameras.

Hopefully, whoever put these cameras up still has their receipt and can get a refund.

There doesn’t seem to be much love for Flock cameras, leaving some people wondering whether cities should return to more traditional policing methods rather than expanding the use of surveillance technology.