Blaine County Sheriff Orders Removal of Flock Camera in Carey

Our Take

Credit to Idaho News 6 for documenting a story that should be a template for the rest of the country. A Flock camera went up in Carey without the community ever being asked, and once residents pushed back, the Sheriff actually reversed course. No contract renewal, no quiet re-installation — just a public acknowledgment that surveillance infrastructure shouldn't be a unilateral decision made behind closed doors.

This matters because it's the exception, not the rule. In most jurisdictions, Flock cameras go up through a procurement process that never touches a public meeting, a city council vote, or a ballot. Police departments sign contracts, flip the switch, and residents find out their plate reads are being logged thousands of times a year only when a local reporter or a curious citizen starts asking questions. Carey's story shows that when people actually find out and organize, local officials can be made to answer for it — even walk it back.

If you want to know whether a camera like this is already watching your own commute, check our camera map before assuming it's not happening in your town. And if you'd rather not wait for a reporter to stumble onto your local contract, our take-action page has the tools to start asking your own officials the questions Carey residents just got answered.