A packed library meeting in Roanoke County offered a look at how deeply troubled some Virginia residents are by Flock's automated license plate readers.
What police may see as a routine crime-fighting tool has become, for critics, a symbol of constant tracking without consent.
Here's what to know
According to reporting by the Roanoke Star, more than 75 people showed up at Roanoke's South County Library to protest the Flock Safety camera network, a turnout organizers said was the biggest the region has seen on the issue.
Residents worry they can be swept into a law enforcement database just by driving to work, school, the store, or a public meeting.
On the way to the library, attendees likely passed about six to eight Flock cameras, Steven Keener, a Christopher Newport University criminology professor who researches license plate reader systems, said, according to the Star.
And, as of April, Roanoke had 27 Flock Safety cameras on its roads, per the Roanoke Times. More than 6,000 police departments nationwide use Flock cameras.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
More background
Roanoke Police Chief Scott Booth recently defended the Flock system during a July 22 news conference on crime statistics, describing it as a useful investigative tool while also acknowledging public concerns, per the Star.
Booth added that not all officers have access to the Flock database, and that those who do are subject to audits. This did not convince residents, many of whom believe their privacy has already been violated by the police and their use of this extraordinarily invasive technology.
Opponents are pressing elected officials for stronger limits and accountability, and an end to Flock contracts. For these critics, the argument is not that public safety does not matter. It is that sweeping ordinary drivers into a searchable system is, as Keener put it, "severe government overreach."
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
