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Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

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Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The goal here by activists isn't to directly physically disarm every camera. Like with any act of protest, it's at least as much about the optics and influence of public opinion. Visibly destroying the units is more cathartic and spreads the message of displeasure better. Ultimately what needs to change is public perception and policy.

If it's about sending a message, I think using a drone to defeat mass surveillance is quite evocative.

Yes. It will invoke the state to pass even more draconian laws surrounding useful technology.

You want to evoke the people and not the state.

Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#52
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you can do it without your image being captured by the camera?

Drones with a paintball gun attached? Realistically that’s going to attract a lot of negative attention.

The use of a drone also ups the ante from a prosecutor’s perspective. Charging a vandal caught with a paintbrush and a ladder is nothing out of the ordinary. A routine misdemeanor.

Someone who has the wherewithal to jerry rig a paintball gun to a drone is someone scary. Plus, any officer who witnesses such a drone is almost certainly going to misidentify the paintball gun as an actual gun. I can imagine the operator would be charged with several felonies.

Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#53
post #47
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where I am (Sydney Australia) we have fixed speed cameras that automatically create speeding fines to drivers going too fast (well, technically the registered owner of the vehicle via ANPR). They eventually had to equip pretty much every speed camera with a speed camera camera, usually on a much higher pole to make vandalism more difficult.

Oof, I really hate this automated enforcement. Might be time to get a paintball gun.

And this is the reason I can’t wait for self driving cars that just follow the speed limit.

Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#54
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oof, I really hate this automated enforcement. Might be time to get a paintball gun.

What else could make life safer at a realistic cost for people outside of vehicles?

Where I live, the speed limit keeps getting reduced so the city can make money off of fines, especially because nobody follows speed limits that are ridiculously low for wide, straight roads where following the limit would make traffic ground to a halt.

Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#57
Flock cameras are assisted suicide for dying neighborhoods. They don't prevent crime, they record crime. Cleaning up vacant lots, planting trees, street lighting, trash removal, and traffic calming like adding planters and crosswalks reduce crime.

Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#58

I'm surprised the flock cameras aren't being disabled in a more subtle fashion. All it takes is a tiny drone with a stick attached, and at the end of that stick is a tiny sponge soaked with tempera paint. Drone goes 'boop' on the camera lens, and the entire system is disabled until an expensive technician drives out with a ladder and cleans the lens at non-trivial expense. A handful of enterprising activists could bl…

In Minecraft it’s well known that lasers of even moderate power can ruin camera sensors. Only in Minecraft though.

Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#59

Flock cameras are assisted suicide for dying neighborhoods. They don't prevent crime, they record crime. Cleaning up vacant lots, planting trees, street lighting, trash removal, and traffic calming like adding planters and crosswalks reduce crime.

The vast majority of crimes are committed by a small percentage of people. The real issue is prosecutors who refuse to incarcerate repeat offenders. But having video evidence is a powerful tool for a motivated prosecutor to actually take criminals off the streets

Re: Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

#60

Flock cameras are assisted suicide for dying neighborhoods. They don't prevent crime, they record crime. Cleaning up vacant lots, planting trees, street lighting, trash removal, and traffic calming like adding planters and crosswalks reduce crime.

The vast majority of crimes are committed by a small percentage of people. The real issue is prosecutors who refuse to incarcerate repeat offenders. But having video evidence is a powerful tool for a motivated prosecutor to actually take criminals off the streets

> The real issue is prosecutors who refuse to incarcerate repeat offenders.

Sometimes judges contribute as well.

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