Flock

Surveillance Camera Saboteurs Are Getting Government Officials' Attention

Sometimes direct action is the only way to get politicians to consider civil liberties.

J.D. Tuccille | 8.26.2026 7:00 AM

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Government officials don't really have the same incentives and concerns as the people they exercise power over. Sometimes, to get officials' attention, you have to do something a little special involving signs, spray paint, hacksaws, or other innovative tools and approaches. At least, that's what's been happening to automated license plate readers (ALPRs)—often referred to as "Flock cameras" after the best-known company that provides them—across the country. Subject to escalating snooping, some people respond by sabotaging surveillance cameras' all-seeing eyes.

You are reading The Rattler from J.D. Tuccille and Reason. Get more of J.D.'s commentary on government overreach and threats to everyday liberty.

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The Growing Threat of Surveillance Cameras

ALPRs are cameras that scan traffic and automatically record and recognize license plates on passing vehicles. Without warrants, police can use them to identify who drove through an area where a crime was committed. They can also be used to track the movements of anybody who comes in view of the increasingly common cameras. ALPRs are often tied into shared databases; in the case of Flock Safety, the largest company in the field, it's a database that spans the country and is accessible by any subscribed law enforcement agency. With enough networked cameras in place, a person's travels to political meetings, religious services, shopping trips, recreational activities, and on-road........

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