As Flock cameras spread across Maine, safety advocates question some roadside poles
The short version: CBS 13 News reports Maine communities are questioning not just the privacy implications of Flock cameras, but whether the poles themselves are safely placed along roadsides.
Our Take
CBS 13 News out of Maine adds a wrinkle to the Flock Safety debate that doesn't get enough attention: where these poles physically go. It's one thing to argue about whether a camera should exist at all. It's another to watch them get planted in rights-of-way with little apparent regard for sightlines, snowplow routes, or basic roadside safety. When a company is racing to blanket a state in cameras, corners get cut — and nobody voted on where the cut gets made.
That's the pattern with Flock's expansion everywhere: minimal public process, installation first, questions later. Maine residents are right to ask who approved these locations and what standard, if any, governed the decision. The same lack of oversight that lets a pole go up in a hazardous spot is the same lack of oversight that lets a department run searches with no audit trail. It's not a coincidence — it's the business model.
Credit to CBS 13 for pushing a local angle that bigger outlets skip. If you want to see how dense this network has already gotten near you, check our camera map, and if your town hasn't had this conversation yet, our take-action page has a starting point.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of CBS 13 News, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.