Elk Grove woman on Flock cameras: ‘Thank God he wasn’t a police officer’
The short version: An Elk Grove stalking survivor told the City Council that Flock ALPR data could easily be weaponized by anyone with access, badge or not.
Our Take
Credit to ElkGroveNews for capturing this moment, because it cuts through the abstract privacy debate and puts a human face on the risk. A woman who survived being stalked stood up at the Aug. 26 Elk Grove City Council meeting and said the quiet part out loud: 'Thank God he wasn't a police officer.' That single line does more to explain the danger of Flock Safety's ALPR network than any policy white paper. The system doesn't just watch criminals — it watches everyone, and the safeguards keeping that data from being misused rely entirely on the integrity of whoever has login access.
We've covered this before: departments across the country have already caught officers running plates for personal reasons — checking on exes, family members, people they have grudges against. Now imagine that same temptation extended to any employee, contractor, or hacked account with a credential. A stalker with a badge is terrifying. A stalker with database access, badge or not, is just as dangerous, and Flock's growing web of cameras makes that access more valuable by the day.
This is exactly why residents in Elk Grove and elsewhere are pushing back and demanding cities end their Flock contracts. If you want to know how many of these cameras are already watching your own commute, check our camera map, and if your city council hasn't heard from you yet, now's the time — see how to take action.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of ElkGroveNews, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.