Flock cameras being vandalized in Westfield
Flock cameras are now in 49 states including New Jersey. They're often the target of vandals who are destroying or disrupting recordings in the name of privacy and surveillance.
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Flock cameras posted in neighborhoods around New Jersey have been the target of vandals who believe the cameras are an intrusive form of surveillance.
Flock cameras, posted on poles are popping up alongside homes in towns like Westfield. They're recording and keeping information about passing car’s registration, the owners name, and location.
Police are using the cameras as a tool to track criminals especially stolen cars or cases involving people who are missing.
Some of Flock’s competitors say there’s no need to hold data.
News 12 spoke with Charlie Degliomini, the Executive Vice President of Rekor Systems, which provides traffic cameras for cities to assist first responders.
“The scale has gotten to a point where it can create a national database. Unless it’s on the FBI’s wanted vehicle list and that’s something that’s published on a daily basis that there should be no searchable data unless there’s a warrant provided. The exception is if there’s an immediate need if there’s an Amber Alert, Silver Alert, or a wanted felony vehicle that’s fleeing the scene of a something such as a mass shooting," says Degliomini.
Following criticism and vandalism of the cameras, Flock’s CEO Garrett Langly is promising changes that include holding data of drivers for only seven days instead of 30.
Langly has said the company will also make it more difficult for police to access data as the information has occasionally been used by officers to stalk and harass people.
