All of Winona Police Department's Flock cameras cut down and stolen

WINONA, Minn. (Valley News Live) - Every Flock license plate reader camera operated by the Winona Police Department has been sawed off and stolen in what investigators believe was a coordinated theft.

All eight cameras were taken Aug. 1, according to the Winona Police Department. A patrol officer first noticed the cameras had not sent any alerts in 24 hours. When officers checked the locations, they found the cameras had been cut from their poles and taken. The poles were left behind.

Two additional Flock cameras on the Mississippi River Bridge, owned by Buffalo County, were also stolen in the same manner.

Each camera is valued at approximately $3,000, putting the total loss at roughly $24,000. That cost falls directly on the Winona Police Department’s budget.

The eight WPD cameras were positioned at key highway entry and exit points throughout the city: near Highway 61 and Bundy Boulevard, Highway 43 and Homer Road, Highway 14 and Knapp Valley Drive, and Highway 61 and Highway 14. Two cameras were stationed at each location.

Flock Safety cameras are automated license plate readers that capture images of plates along with a vehicle’s make, model and color. Police use the technology to investigate crimes such as hit-and-runs and to locate missing persons. Camera data is owned by the police department and permanently deleted after 30 days.

The thefts are part of a broader national trend. Flock cameras have been vandalized and cut down in communities across the country. The technology has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates who argue the cameras expand government surveillance and raise concerns about data being shared with third-party companies or federal agencies.

No suspects have been identified. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Winona Police Department.

> Police use the technology to investigate crimes such as hit-and-runs and to locate missing persons.

Disgusting copy. We all know that's not their primary function.

What alerts are they getting so often anyway? It's a little town of 25k people.

I can understand the benefit of being able to track coming and going and criminal activity etc but there is no oversight and it is already being abused.

Keeping this data within the municipality and requiring bureaucracy to coordinate with others might be the best solution I've heard, since it prevents dragnets and builds in auditing as part of the process.

See also this article about hiding usage of flock https://www.404media.co/do-not-mention-alpr-usage-how-cops-a...

> Police use the technology to investigate crimes such as hit-and-runs and to locate missing persons. > No suspects have been identified.

Yeah, that tracks.

> Camera data is owned by the police department and permanently deleted after 30 days.

I assume this means that the police department deletes one local copy?

That would make the loss $48,000 ;)