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Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

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Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#261

Post by joquarky »

howmayiannoyyou wrote: post #35

Flock has solved crimes in my state, including a few horrendous violent crimes. We forget US society was configured (imperfectly) to allow families to raise their children in stability and safety, with guardrails around both sides of liberty. Surveillance has a legit role in protecting communities and their families - especially the most vulnerable. Willing to be most of the Flock hate crowd doesn't have kids walking…

"Won't someone think of the children" has become the rally cry of authoritarians.

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#262

Post by vkou »

akerl_ wrote: post #260
vkou wrote: post #253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who do I call if I think Flock is stalking me, and who will the police show up to intimidate when I do?

> Who do I call if I think Flock is stalking me Your local representative who signed a contract with Flock to install and operate the cameras?

So, complain to the stalker?

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#263

Post by well_ackshually »

k33n wrote: post #119
snypher wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Florida is a model democracy that all states should look up to.

Yes, it really is. Florida is a cultural punching bag, and we take that in stride too. We have a balanced budget, no state income tax, and no flock cameras. We are close to abolishing property taxes as well. Our natural disaster response is some of the most robust anywhere in the world as well.

"We replaced a somewhat fair income tax with the most unfair tax of all, VAT!"

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#265

Post by k33n »

well_ackshually wrote: post #263
k33n wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it really is. Florida is a cultural punching bag, and we take that in stride too. We have a balanced budget, no state income tax, and no flock cameras. We are close to abolishing property taxes as well. Our natural disaster response is some of the most robust anywhere in the world as well.

"We replaced a somewhat fair income tax with the most unfair tax of all, VAT!"

Florida state sales taxes aren’t a VAT, and Florida is consistently in the top 5 for lowest taxed states in the country.

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#266

Post by slopinthebag »

downrightmike wrote: post #256
slopinthebag wrote: post #207

It’s a smart tactic for governments to use private corporations to do stuff like this. Flock takes all the heat and the government can even make themselves look good by ditching Flock. 2 seconds later they’ll use a different company. There is no practical difference between the government hiring people to do something and the government hiring a corporation to do the same thing, and if you find yourself blaming Flock…

Except the Gov can't buy services from corps to do things they are not allowed to do: Pinkerton Act. None of this is legal

I’m not saying this is legal, I’m saying this is a tactic governments use to deflect culpability from themselves for their actions. The fact people even blame the flock guy and not the politicians who sent him there means it’s working.

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#267

Post by johnnyanmac »

tptacek wrote: post #217
tanseydavid wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TIL that 911 (Emergency Services) is how one should report a stolen bicycle.

Happy to help. 911 is the primary "call for service" channel for most police departments.

Let's clarify things. You can call 911 for a non-emergency. That dispatch worker will then redirect the line to a non-emergency line based on the situation. They will also likely remind you of a faster way to reach the non-emergency lines in your area, because they do not want everyone clogging 911 with non-emergencies. But it is very technically a valid way to call.

I will still judge someone for doing it that way, though. Especially in a day and age where a simple search query of your non-emergency line will save the time of such dispatch agents. Or at least 411 if you're of an older generation (411 still works on more cellular lines than you'd think today).

I'll also remind people that abuse of the emergency dispatch lines are illegal (not that this is what happened here), so please do not consider pushing your luck with non-emergencies maliciously.

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#268

Post by DrewADesign »

tptacek wrote: post #185
DrewADesign wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, when you’re on the clock, you’re an agent of that company. And when you’re installing an indiscriminate mass-surveillance camera, calling the police on someone that’s video recording you is kind of bananas. Perhaps you don’t find that to be an interesting event, but a lot of people who are rightfully angry at the non-consensual deployment of a mass surveillance network disagree.

It's not bananas. It happens all the time. The police show up, check things out, and inform the caller that the person recording has a right to do so. In this case, it's even less bananas, because the people recording him were literally following him around, which is not what generally happens in these "audit" scenarios where someone parks themselves on the street outside a restaurant or bank. There's pretty clearly…

I’m very close with several current police dispatchers, and even have an expired state telecommunicator certification. Calling 911 can absolutely be a coercive force, and people use 911 to harass people all the time because in many instances the dispatcher has no choice but to send uniformed people over there to investigate. Police are equipped and trained to deal with certain kinds of problems, and they’re constantly looking for evidence to support a criminal charge. It’s their job. All they know walking into that situation— as human beings that aren’t immune to the power of suggestion— is that the caller, who is the complainant, says that the other person is doing something wrong. That is not a neutral action. If it was, many departments wouldn’t be adopting non-uniformed, unarmed social worker responses to non-violent situations.

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#269

Post by aleksejs »

nullocator wrote: post #238
tptacek wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Happy to help. 911 is the primary "call for service" channel for most police departments.

I've personally never come across a police department or sherrif in the U.S. that doesn't have a non emergency number. I'd assume thats what you should call for things that aren't an emergency? They've never told me to call back and call 911.

Allegheny County in Pennsylvania is one such department without a separate number. I don't think it's that uncommon.

Re: Flock worker calls police on reporter filming public camera installation

#270

Post by b112 »

dkarl wrote: post #43
WarmWash wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blantantly making stuff up is a bad look, they were founded as an HOA (private neighborhood) security service. >Flock’s camera and accompanying software is geared towards private neighborhoods and neighborhood associations looking to decrease petty crime.[1] [1] https://www.hypepotamus.com/flock-safety-funding-round-growt...

Same thing on a smaller scale, and they never would have got venture capital funding if they didn't have an upward trajectory from HOAs. There's only one path upward from private HOA surveillance, and that's government surveillance.

By that reasoning, every single company will run out of good scale reasons, and therefore scale for bad reasons, so you're evil to fund anyone ever.
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