Someone stole every Flock camera in this Minnesota city
A city lost its entire Flock camera network as communities nationwide grapple with the controversial license plate readers.
Eight Flock cameras operated by the Winona Police Department in Minnesota went missing between July 29 and August 1. The thefts were discovered when the system failed to record recent activity. Upon inspection, police found that the mounting poles near the cameras had been cut and discarded in nearby weeds. Each camera cost around $3,000 to replace, leaving the department with an estimated $24,000 bill.
This incident is not unique to Winona, as similar thefts and damage have been reported in other Minnesota communities, including Duluth, Plymouth, Edina, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, and Anoka County. Flock Safety, the company behind the technology, has faced scrutiny over its nationwide surveillance network, which consists of approximately 120,000 devices in use across 49 states.
Critics argue that the technology raises concerns about privacy, misuse, and potential access to sensitive information. In response to the thefts and other incidents, some cities have begun canceling or deactivating their Flock systems, while others are calling for stricter oversight and investigations into potential misuse.
Written by urgent.news from Mashable's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
