A City Bought Flock Cameras With Drug Money. Nobody Voted. (5/7)

Our Take

This is the part of the Flock expansion story that should bother everyone, regardless of how you feel about policing: the money trail. Civil asset forfeiture funds are, by design, outside the normal budget process. No line item, no public hearing, no council vote weighing costs against benefits. In Waltham, that quirk in the law let a surveillance network capable of logging every car's movements get installed without the city's elected representatives ever having to say yes or no. Why Does Anything lays out the mechanics clearly in part 5 of their series, and it's worth your time.

This isn't a one-off loophole — it's a pattern repeating in towns across the country. Forfeiture money, grant funds, 'donations' from police foundations: these are all ways agencies acquire ALPR infrastructure while sidestepping the messy, accountable process of asking taxpayers directly. The public ends up funding and living under a surveillance system it never actually approved, built with cash that often originated from people who were never convicted of anything.

If your town has Flock cameras, there's a good chance the purchase happened the same way — quietly, procedurally, with no real debate about data retention, access, or oversight. Check our map to see what's already watching your streets, and head to take-action for ways to push your local council toward an actual vote.