Congressional candidate Pete Lynch presses Lexington council to end Flock surveillance
The short version: A Lexington congressional candidate told council Flock's ALPR program ignores public input, urging them to scrap it and hold a real community forum.
Our Take
Hellbender Newsroom caught a moment that should be playing out in council chambers all over the country: a candidate standing up and asking the basic question — did anyone actually ask residents if they wanted these cameras? Pete Lynch's pitch to Lexington's council wasn't just about privacy in the abstract. It was about process. Cities routinely sign Flock contracts through staff recommendations and quiet votes, then act surprised when constituents push back after the fact. A public forum isn't a radical demand; it's the bare minimum for a surveillance system that logs everyone's movements regardless of suspicion.
The money angle matters too. These contracts aren't cheap, and renewing them year after year on autopilot is its own kind of policy failure — spending public funds on a system many residents never approved and few fully understand. When a candidate has to show up at a council meeting to force that conversation, it's a sign local government skipped a step it shouldn't have.
Lexington isn't unique. If you want to see how far this network already reaches near you, check the map, and if your own council hasn't had this conversation yet, our take-action page has what you need to start it.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Hellbender Newsroom, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.