Video: DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd on license plate reader cameras on June 22, 2026
The short version: DeKalb's council rubber-stamped a Flock ALPR contract 4-1 after Chief Byrd's pitch, another small city folding surveillance into routine policing with little public pushback.
Our Take
Shaw Local's footage of DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd making his case to the city council is a familiar script by now: a chief frames license plate readers as a simple tool for catching stolen cars and solving crimes, council members nod along, and a 4-1 vote locks in a multi-year contract before most residents even know the conversation happened. We appreciate Shaw Local for actually putting the meeting on camera — most of these approvals happen in agenda items nobody reads.
What's missing from pitches like this is any real accounting of what the camera network becomes once it's installed: a searchable log of where every car in town goes, stored by a private company, accessible to other agencies through data-sharing agreements most council members never scrutinize. 'Stolen vehicles' is the sales pitch. Permanent movement tracking of everyone is the product.
If DeKalb is getting one of these systems, it belongs on the record. Check our camera map to see what's already deployed near you, and if you want to push back before your own city council takes a quiet 4-1 vote, our take-action page has concrete steps.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Shaw Local, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.