County in Michigan removes Flock Cameras after vandalism

Our Take

Jamie Sherrod's report on a Michigan county yanking its Flock Safety cameras after someone vandalized them is the kind of story we keep seeing pop up in smaller communities that rarely make national news. Whatever you think of vandalism as a tactic, the underlying message is clear: plenty of everyday residents never consented to having their daily movements logged by a private surveillance network, and some are frustrated enough to act on it rather than wait for a county commission meeting.

We don't have every detail on this specific removal, but the pattern is familiar. Local governments quietly sign contracts for "public safety" cameras, communities find out after the fact, and once people realize there's no warrant required for police or federal agencies to query this data, the backlash starts. Vandalism isn't a strategy we endorse, but it's a symptom of communities feeling like they have no real say in whether a surveillance dragnet gets installed on their roads.

If you want a lawful, lasting way to push back, that starts with knowing what's already watching you and showing up where decisions get made. Check our camera map to see if Flock has already set up shop near you, and use our take-action resources to organize before the next contract gets rubber-stamped, not after.