Flock cameras damaged, stolen

Our Take

WLOS News 13 reports that six Flock Safety cameras in Transylvania County have been damaged or stolen, with the sheriff's office now hunting for suspects. We don't endorse vandalism or theft — it's illegal, it won't actually dismantle the surveillance apparatus, and it gives departments an easy excuse to ask for more cameras and bigger budgets under the banner of 'protecting infrastructure.'

But incidents like this don't happen in a vacuum. They're a blunt, frustrated response to a system that was rolled out in plenty of towns with little public debate, no meaningful opt-out, and vague answers about who sees your driving history and for how long. When residents feel like the only lever they have left is a wrench, that's a sign local officials skipped the part where they're supposed to earn consent, not just install hardware and hope nobody asks questions.

If you want a legal, lasting way to push back, start by finding out how many of these cameras are already watching your own streets on our map, then use our take-action guide to raise it at your next city council meeting. Public records requests and organized pressure move the needle — and unlike a smashed camera, Flock can't just replace that with a new purchase order.