Why I'm opposed to Flock cameras - John Andrews #mainepolitics #flock #flockcameras #election2026
The short version: A Maine political voice, John Andrews, joins the growing chorus questioning whether Flock's ALPR network is the right fix for local law enforcement needs.
Our Take
John Andrews, featured on Maine Rising Live, is asking a question we think every town considering a Flock Safety contract should ask: does bolting a license-plate-reading camera to every intersection actually solve the problems we're told it solves? Maine's rural stretches and small police budgets make it an easy sales pitch for Flock's "force multiplier" marketing, but that pitch rarely comes with a public conversation about data retention, who can query the network, or how long these cameras stick around once installed.
We don't have the full transcript, so we'll stay in our lane on specifics, but the broader pattern Andrews is pointing to is one we track nationwide: towns adopting blanket ALPR surveillance with little debate, then discovering later how porous the guardrails are. With 2026 elections approaching, this is exactly the moment for Maine voters to push candidates on where they stand before contracts get signed, not after.
Credit to Andrews and Maine Rising Live for putting this on the table in a state where it hasn't gotten much attention. If you want to see whether Flock cameras have already landed near you, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back locally, our take-action page has a starting point.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of MAINE RISING LIVE, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.