Are flock cameras good or bad? #survey #vote #camera #police #state #opinion

Our Take

The Davis Download's informal survey format — asking everyday people whether Flock cameras are "good or bad" — is a useful temperature check, even if it's thin on specifics. What it captures is real: most Americans have never been asked to consent to a network of license plate readers logging their movements, and when you finally put the question to them directly, you get a genuine mix of shrugs, support, and unease. That split is the story. These systems have expanded across thousands of communities with little public debate, and a 30-second sidewalk poll reveals how little context most residents have been given before the cameras showed up.

That's the real problem. Flock and similar ALPR vendors pitch these networks to city councils and police departments, often with minimal public hearings, and the surveillance infrastructure goes up before most voters even know it's a live issue. A video like this is a reminder that opinion is still very much up for grabs — which means the window to organize, ask questions, and push back is still open in most towns.

If this video got you wondering whether your own neighborhood is wired up, check our camera map to see what's nearby, and visit our take-action page for concrete steps to raise this at your next city council meeting. Credit to The Davis Download for putting the question to real people on camera — that's exactly the kind of grassroots temperature-check this debate needs more of.