Post Falls mayor says city will "never use Flock cameras"

Our Take

Credit to KREM 2 News for pressing Post Falls Mayor Westlund on this one, because the headline here is doing a lot of work. Saying "we'll never use Flock" sounds like a win for privacy until you learn the city already runs its own plate-reading cameras — just a different brand. Surveillance infrastructure doesn't stop being surveillance infrastructure because the logo on the box changed.

This is a pattern we see again and again: officials draw hard lines around one controversial vendor while quietly green-lighting the same core function — mass, warrantless logging of where your car has been — under a less politically toxic name. "More limited" is doing a lot of lifting in that quote, and local reporters and residents should be asking exactly what data is collected, how long it's retained, who can access it, and whether it's shared with other agencies or federal databases. Those answers matter far more than the brand name on the pole.

If you want to see what's actually deployed near you — Flock or otherwise — check our camera map, and if Post Falls or your own town is expanding ALPR coverage under any vendor, our take-action resources can help you push for real transparency, not just a rebrand.