Washington County discusses whether county funds should be used for Flock cameras
The short version: Washington County officials are weighing whether to spend public money on Flock ALPR cameras just as nearby cities push back against the surveillance network.
Our Take
Credit to 5NEWS for catching this one early. A county government debating whether to fund Flock Safety cameras is a textbook moment in how mass surveillance creeps into American life — not through some dramatic vote, but through a budget line item discussed on a quiet Tuesday night while neighboring cities are already having second thoughts.
That's the part worth paying attention to: the backlash isn't coming from outside agitators, it's coming from the cities right next door who've presumably lived with these cameras long enough to ask hard questions about cost, data sharing, and whether the promised crime-fighting results are actually showing up. When a county board considers writing a check for the same system its neighbors are souring on, residents deserve to know exactly what data gets collected, who can access it, and how long it's kept before taxpayers are on the hook for it.
If Washington County moves forward, it joins a rapidly expanding patchwork of ALPR coverage that most residents never voted on directly. Check our camera map to see what's already tracking plates near you, and if you want to push back before your own county signs a contract, our take-action page has the tools to make your voice heard at the next public meeting.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of 5NEWS, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.