Outcry over Flock cameras in Minneapolis suburb #shorts
The short version: Fridley, Minnesota residents pushed back hard on Flock ALPRs, forcing police to announce policy changes — proof public pressure works.
Our Take
Credit to WCCO's Heather Brown and Ashley Grams for capturing what a lot of these Flock town halls actually look like once residents figure out what's been installed on their streets. "Testy" is the polite word for it. People show up wanting to know who has access to their movements, how long the data sits around, and who decided this was necessary in the first place — questions police departments are rarely eager to answer in detail.
The fact that Fridley PD is now touting "big changes" to how the cameras are used is the real story here, even if the segment only has seconds to tell it. Departments don't tighten policy because they suddenly had a change of heart; they do it because residents packed a room and made noise. That's the pattern playing out across Minnesota right now, city by city, and it's the same pattern that's worked elsewhere in the country: sunshine and public pressure move these systems more than any vendor promise about safeguards.
If you want to know whether there's a Flock camera near you, check our map, and if you're ready to push your own city council the way Fridley residents did, our take-action page has the tools to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WCCO - CBS Minnesota, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.