What the Flock? | Why Cities Are Ditching Flock Cameras. #flocksafety #surveillance
The short version: Miles & Nico spotlight a growing trend: towns that once welcomed Flock Safety cameras are now ripping them out over cost, privacy, and accountability failures.
Our Take
Credit to Miles & Nico for putting a spotlight on something we track closely: the backlash. For years the Flock Safety pitch has been simple — a few cameras, a little grant money, and suddenly your police department can "solve more crimes." What doesn't get mentioned in the sales meeting is what happens after installation: no public audit trail, mission creep into immigration and reproductive-rights enforcement, and price tags that balloon once the honeymoon subscription period ends. Cities that signed on fast are now the ones pumping the brakes.
That reversal matters. It proves these systems aren't inevitable infrastructure like streetlights — they're vendor contracts, and contracts can be canceled. Every city council that votes to pull cameras is proof that public pressure works, that residents showing up to meetings and asking hard questions about data retention and access logs can actually move the needle. It also exposes the weak spot in Flock's business model: convenience-driven adoption with almost no long-term public buy-in.
If you want to see how far this network has spread near you, check our camera map, and if your town is still debating a Flock contract — or already regretting one — our take-action page has the tools to help you push back before it becomes permanent.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Miles & Nico, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.