Multiple Minnesota cities report damage to Flock license plate reader cameras
The short version: Multiple Minnesota cities report vandalized Flock ALPR cameras as public backlash over the surveillance network intensifies, per KARE 11.
Our Take
Credit to KARE 11 for documenting what happens when communities feel like surveillance got installed on their streets without a real conversation: someone eventually shows up with a ladder, a hammer, or spray paint. We don't endorse property destruction, but we understand the frustration. When city councils quietly sign contracts with Flock Safety and residents wake up to cameras logging every car that passes, vandalism becomes a crude form of public comment that never got a hearing.
What's telling is the timing — this damage isn't happening in a vacuum. It's landing amid growing statewide scrutiny of how these networks are procured, who can query them, and how little oversight exists once the cameras go up. Minnesota isn't unique here; we've tracked similar friction points across the country as Flock's footprint has exploded with minimal public input. Anger at unaccountable surveillance infrastructure is a symptom, not the disease.
If you want an actual outlet for that frustration instead of a bolt cutter, use it. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your area, and hit take action for ways to push your city council toward transparency, audits, and real public debate before the next contract gets signed.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of KARE 11, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.