Businesses vandalized over Flock camera controversy
The short version: Spray-painted protest messages in Troy, NY show public frustration with Flock ALPR deployments boiling over — but vandalism isn't the answer; organizing is.
Our Take
CBS6 Albany's report on the overnight vandalism targeting Troy businesses — including the now-infamous "Flock Carmie" tag on the Hedley building — captures something real: communities are angry about surveillance cameras being installed without meaningful input. We don't condone property damage, and neither should anyone who wants this fight taken seriously. But the anger itself isn't irrational. When police departments quietly expand ALPR networks and residents feel like spectators in decisions about their own streets, frustration finds an outlet one way or another.
The better outlet is public pressure through the front door — council meetings, open records requests, and organized opposition before contracts get signed, not after cameras go up. Vandalism gives officials an easy way to dismiss critics as vandals rather than engage with legitimate concerns about data retention, access logs, and mission creep. It also risks making local businesses collateral damage in a fight that isn't theirs.
Credit to CBS6 Albany for covering the backlash instead of just the press release. If you want to know whether Flock or other ALPR systems are already watching your block, check our camera map, and if you'd rather channel frustration into something that actually changes policy, our take-action guide is the place to start.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of CBS6 Albany, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.