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WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

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Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#31

Post by moritonal »

veec_cas_tant wrote: post #28

Obviously an unpopular opinion on this site, but I wish we had speed cameras, red-light cameras, and ALPRs everywhere. Cars are incredibly dangerous and large numbers of people drive them like absolute lunatics. There should be absolutely no expectation of privacy when using public streets. That position doesn't even account for the footage helping immensely with other investigations.

You managed to say everything but the difficult bit. People don't generally have a problem with cameras, all our computers and phones have one. The problem is who can use them and when.

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#32

Post by vaylian »

veec_cas_tant wrote: post #28

Obviously an unpopular opinion on this site, but I wish we had speed cameras, red-light cameras, and ALPRs everywhere. Cars are incredibly dangerous and large numbers of people drive them like absolute lunatics. There should be absolutely no expectation of privacy when using public streets. That position doesn't even account for the footage helping immensely with other investigations.

> There should be absolutely no expectation of privacy when using public streets.

Strong disagree. Life in public areas is often still part of private life. And we should treat it with the respect and privacy that it deserves. You going to the doctor? That's part of your private life. You meeting with an old friend to catch up? Also private, even though you do it in a public cafe.

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#33

Post by [deleted] »

lokar wrote: post #6

A weird take. They seem oblivious to the fact that real problem is not distrust of flock, it’s distrust of the police. They are in a situation where the public just barely trusts the local police, and a new surveillance system pushes them over the edge into hostility. They need to be working to gain much more trust.

[deleted]

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#34

Post by tverbeure »

veec_cas_tant wrote: post #28

Obviously an unpopular opinion on this site, but I wish we had speed cameras, red-light cameras, and ALPRs everywhere. Cars are incredibly dangerous and large numbers of people drive them like absolute lunatics. There should be absolutely no expectation of privacy when using public streets. That position doesn't even account for the footage helping immensely with other investigations.

They are great for tracking criminals who cross state lines for medical care.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/10/flock-safety-and-texas...

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#36

Post by bdamm »

veec_cas_tant wrote: post #28

Obviously an unpopular opinion on this site, but I wish we had speed cameras, red-light cameras, and ALPRs everywhere. Cars are incredibly dangerous and large numbers of people drive them like absolute lunatics. There should be absolutely no expectation of privacy when using public streets. That position doesn't even account for the footage helping immensely with other investigations.

Personally I agree with the desire for more traffic enforcement, even if it means I personally would suffer because frankly I like driving fast. But as a cyclist who also likes riding fast, and a parent to likes giving freedom to children, safer roads would be great.

The problem is that these systems, always and without fail, come with government and police overreach and then the "guilty unless proven innocent" paradigm creeps in, which we have already seen happen with flock. You have police using the technology to spy on their lovers and friends of their wives and husbands, and you have political campaigns finding ways to spy on their opponents, and activists getting special attention from prosecutors, etc. Which always happs, but with totalitarianism is an absolute train wreck for an open, fair, and power-balanced government.

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#37

Post by morkalork »

pj_mukh wrote: post #12
lokar wrote: post #6

A weird take. They seem oblivious to the fact that real problem is not distrust of flock, it’s distrust of the police. They are in a situation where the public just barely trusts the local police, and a new surveillance system pushes them over the edge into hostility. They need to be working to gain much more trust.

But also, I dont understand all this hand-wringing. EFF has a clear easy solution [1]: Put all the data behind a Warrant. Problem solved. No trust required. Wanna look up where a murderer drove? Go get a warrant Wanna look up where a robbery suspect drove to? Go get a Warrant. Divorce case hinging on one party's whereabouts on a certain date? Warrant. Speeding tickets are automatically filed anyways. [1]: https://www…

What happens when say FBI gets a warrant for "foreign actors" and sends it to a FISA court in secret?

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#38

Post by pj_mukh »

michaelt wrote: post #29
pj_mukh wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean ALPR's have worked wonders in my town [1]. So I'll keep supporting them until we restructure all our cities to drastically reduce car speeds. Plus post 2020 police backlash, detective work has basically disappeared and clearing rates have cratered [2]. Police are now no longer able to (or are refusing to) solve crime "the old fashioned way", and the public has no real leverage to "make them do it". So I get it…

> I mean ALPR's have worked wonders in my town [1]. So I'll keep supporting them With flock, citizens are concerned by the privacy implications of the state keeping a dossier of each citizen’s movements. But once we assure citizens the flock cameras have already issued 500,000 speeding fines in a single town this year, no doubt they’ll come to support the cameras. Perhaps the cameras could also automatically issue pa…

Yes we should just always give in to populism’s demands and it’ll have no negative consequences ever /s

…oops [1]

[1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/headway/motor-vehicles-fa...

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#39

Post by Groxx »

steviehicks78 wrote: post #30
veec_cas_tant wrote: post #28

Obviously an unpopular opinion on this site, but I wish we had speed cameras, red-light cameras, and ALPRs everywhere. Cars are incredibly dangerous and large numbers of people drive them like absolute lunatics. There should be absolutely no expectation of privacy when using public streets. That position doesn't even account for the footage helping immensely with other investigations.

I would totally agree with you if I trusted the government

Yeah - this is the important part. With a truly benevolent government I think this may in fact be the best option...

But not only do you have to trust the government now (and you likely should not), you also need to trust the government far into the future (which you absolutely cannot do) because the tools will still exist.

Don't accept tools that are also strong weapons for oppression.

Re: WPD won't replace stolen Flock cameras, citing public trust

#40

Post by basch »

veec_cas_tant wrote: post #28

Obviously an unpopular opinion on this site, but I wish we had speed cameras, red-light cameras, and ALPRs everywhere. Cars are incredibly dangerous and large numbers of people drive them like absolute lunatics. There should be absolutely no expectation of privacy when using public streets. That position doesn't even account for the footage helping immensely with other investigations.

Part of the problem is the people reacting to the data. Cops coming at an innocent someone, guns drawn, because of database and human error. If that person weren't so calm and level headed in the moment, when they were attacked by confused and mistaken aggressors, would they still be alive?

https://www.thedrive.com/news/how-flock-cameras-wrongly-trac...

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