In this case the issue isn't 19k flock cameras, but an utter lack of repercussion for failure to justify usage. In the same way I'd be arrested and jailed if I breached/used 19K ring cameras that do not belong to me, this guy should be arrested and jailed for his misuse. Police unions are a major root cause of many issues in the USA.
A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
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Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#32This cop is doing his part to get rid of flock
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That wasn't an initial safety feature. It was added after abuse had already been reported. Flock also needs to require a case number or some other method of validation for legitimate use. Presuming the continue to exist in any capacity. Otherwise we're just going to keep discovering incidents like this.
Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#33This cop is doing his part to get rid of flock
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They also designed some amazing validation for that audit software:
>Data reviewed by the EFF included searches labelled 'LMAO', 'LOL', 'Hehe', 'Haha', 'idk' and 'blah'. Other entries included 'asdfg' and strings of apparently random keyboard characters. In one case, an officer entered: 'robbery I don't remember the case number leave me alone'.
Seems like they really put a lot of thought into preventing abuse
>Network Size and ReachTotal Count: Flock Safety reports having over 120,000 active cameras.Community Spread: These cameras are placed in more than 6,000 communities.Data Collection: The system records roughly 20 billion vehicle scans every single month. [1] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/09/14/trump-e...), [2] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flock_Safety)
He searched ~1/5 of the cameras available in America..
Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#34My commit messages when no one is looking, and the reason I hardly ever open source stuff...
Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#35> July 2025, an officer with the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department
Do they not know the name of this officer, or are they not reporting it?
Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#36> Data reviewed by the EFF included searches labelled 'LMAO', 'LOL', 'Hehe', 'Haha', 'idk' and 'blah'. Other entries included 'asdfg' and strings of apparently random keyboard characters. In one case, an officer entered: 'robbery I don't remember the case number leave me alone'. lol wtf. Like, I get it, "haha quirky me", if it was a personal coding project or an informal setting, but not here!? I wouldn't believe if…
What do you mean "not here"? They're looking at video footage of public places, I would not care either. I'm not happy about flock cameras but this is not like he's filling out paperwork for a charge or doing something important, these cops are looking at existing camera data of public spaces
Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
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That wasn't an initial safety feature. It was added after abuse had already been reported. Flock also needs to require a case number or some other method of validation for legitimate use. Presuming the continue to exist in any capacity. Otherwise we're just going to keep discovering incidents like this.
They'll just keep a random old case number on a notepad to put in.
Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#38This cop is doing his part to get rid of flock
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> So Flock and the local governments are acting responsibly here. The police officer is not and should be reprimanded.
Who is responsible for ensuring that agents of the government in jurisdictions that host Flock cameras adhere to proper procedures, if not the local governments themselves? Who is designing access systems that permit random text in lieu of actual case numbers that can be verified in real time and properly gate the system? If Flock and the IT departments of local governments cannot provide proper locks against this sort of random surveillance then the cameras should be removed.
Re: A Cop Searched 19,000 Flock Cameras Across 1,558 Cities. His Reason: 'LMAO'
#39This cop is doing his part to get rid of flock
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>Flock designed their software so that the police have to state a reason.
And yet none of this stopped an individual from first accessing 19,000 cameras across 1558 cities with "LMAO" as the reason. The damage is already done and it could have been prevented.