Grand jury declines to indict Ohio man charged with destroying Flock camera

A man in Ohio faces felony vandalism charges after allegedly dismantling a Flock automatic license plate reader camera. Union Township police claim Cody Morelock disassembled the camera, its pole, and solar panel on June 13. Investigators identified Morelock through surveillance footage and linked financial information to his actions.

The damage is estimated at over $1,000. Morelock posted a $10,000 bond and was released from custody. However, a Clermont County grand jury declined to indict him, and the charges were dismissed. Flock cameras capture license plate numbers and vehicle details, which are stored in a central database accessible to various law enforcement agencies.

The Union Township incident is part of a broader trend of Flock camera vandalism across the country. Recently, police in Minnesota reported the theft of all eight of their Flock cameras. Social media users have promoted a loosely organized "De-Flock America Night," encouraging people to vandalize or obscure Flock cameras on Halloween.

The backlash against Flock cameras has grown amid allegations of police misconduct related to the technology. According to the Institute for Justice, over 100 cases of police abuse involving Flock cameras have been reported, prompting Flock to implement new safeguards. However, critics, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, argue that these reforms are largely superficial and that warrants should be required for accessing license plate reader data.