Flock Camera Public Comment

Our Take

Muddy River News did what local outlets are supposed to do: show up to a city council meeting and let residents speak for themselves. This clip from Quincy's August 17 session captures a public comment on Flock Safety cameras, and however the specifics shake out, the fact that it's even on the agenda tells you something. These systems don't get installed by referendum — they get installed by a handful of officials signing a contract, and the public usually finds out after the fact. When residents actually get a mic and a few minutes to push back, that's the process working the way it's supposed to.

We don't have the transcript in front of us and we're not going to pretend we do, but the pattern in Quincy is one we've seen play out in city after city: a police department or council quietly approves ALPR cameras, someone notices the poles going up, and only then does the public conversation start — backwards from how it should go. Local journalism outlets like Muddy River News covering these meetings in full is part of what keeps that conversation honest, because council minutes rarely capture the tone of a resident telling their elected officials they don't want to be tracked block by block.

If you're in Quincy or anywhere else wondering whether Flock has already landed near you, check our camera map to see what's been documented in your area, and if you want to push back the way this commenter did, our take action page has the tools to help you make your case at the next council meeting.