Metro Detroit still doesn't give a Flock
The short version: Michael Perna documents Metro Detroit residents still resisting Flock ALPR cameras, proof that sustained local pushback can keep surveillance expansion in check.
Our Take
Credit to Michael Perna for keeping a camera on this fight. Metro Detroit has become one of the more interesting battlegrounds in the Flock story precisely because the opposition hasn't faded after one city council meeting — it's persistent, organized, and apparently loud enough that local officials can't just quietly rubber-stamp another contract. That's exactly the kind of friction this technology needs more of everywhere.
It matters because Flock's whole business model depends on normalization: get a few cameras up, point to "public safety" wins, and expand before anyone asks hard questions about retention windows, data sharing across jurisdictions, or who else can query your travel history. When a region like Metro Detroit keeps saying no, or at least keeps forcing the conversation back into the open, it slows that playbook down and gives other communities a template for pushing back.
If you're in Michigan or anywhere else watching your local government weigh an ALPR contract, don't wait for a viral video to act. Check our camera map to see what's already been deployed near you, and use our take-action resources to show up at the meeting before the vote, not after.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Michael Perna, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.