SEPT 2026. Blues Vol 42 No.9

GUEST COMMENTARY Y Dan

GUEST COMMENTARY Y Dan Myers Flock: A Different Perspective I read with amazement, and a little amusement, what people posted in response to articles on Flock cameras. Many were just regurgitating misinformation that they had seen or read somewhere. The commenter's didn’t really think about what they heard. They just absorbed it as factual. These cameras take a still image and identify make, model, color and license plate numbers of vehicles passing by. They do not record the speed or who is in the vehicle. This is not really any different than a law enforcement officer noting the same data on passing vehicles. The big difference is that Flock technology can process hundreds of vehicles in a very short time. If you view Flock cameras as unwarranted surveillance, you should consider the thousands of homes, most companies, and many parking lots that use surveillance cameras. These are observing you almost every time you leave your home, and the videos are readily shared with police when a crime occurs. Your movements are being recorded. I drove across the Allen Street Bridge on July 22 at 11:47 a.m. If some hacker broke into the camera systems and stole that information, what would they do with 26 The BLUES SEPTEMBER ‘26 NOT FLOCK! Cameras are everywhere, and you are being watched. But Not by FLOCK it? Use it to blackmail me? They certainly didn’t get the account number and password to my bank or Amazon account. You are actually more vulnerable to fraud by making posts on social media than someone hacking into the Flock system. Facebook just announced that it had a data breach in June. Those who think Flock cameras are violating the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution are wrong. Nothing is being seized, and the cameras do not detect if you are carrying drugs, weapons, large amounts of cash, or dead bodies. If they did, then it would constitute an illegal search. Others complain that “We didn’t vote on this.” Guess what, you didn’t vote on bike lanes, speed limits, homeless encampments, licensing requirements, and many other things decided by various levels of Government. The only reason we voted on license fees is that a petition was circulated and collected enough signatures to put it on the ballot. An alarming number of people commenting seem to view the police as the “bad guys”. These generally fall into one of two categories: Those who want to commit crimes without getting caught and those who are virtue signaling by feigning concern for those they view as victims of oppression. There are also mentally stunted individuals who read these misleading posts and feel they are some types of social justice warrior who will be viewed as a hero if they destroy those cameras. What I encourage more people to do, is THINK more and parrot less on social media. It will then be a more useful and informative platform.

The BLUES - SEPTEMBER ‘26 27