August 18, 2026
Flock Safety cameras are an increasingly hot topic, as privacy concerns grow and public outcry rises. Citizens are worried that these automatic license plate readers (ALPR) threaten their civil liberties by conducting warrantless surveillance and nationally sharing footage. Police cite effective, fair, and efficient crime resolution as a motive to keep the cameras operating.
Vandalism of cameras has occurred throughout town, as dissenters go vigilante. Drive through Pocatello with an eye open for it, and you will see cut wires dangling from perhaps a quarter of the Flock cameras on our streets. Some have been knocked over and smashed. Each instance costs the Pocatello Police Department hundreds to thousands of dollars in repairs.
Privacy advocates—such as myself—ought to condemn these vigilante acts. Words, not swords, are the best defense of civil liberties.
On August 17, a friend and I put up signs near some of the Flock cameras in town, with satirical phrases such as “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” and “STATE FUNDED DYSTOPIA”. The intent was to raise awareness through protected free speech, without violating the city’s property rights.
Two officers stopped us, corrected us on the placement of one of the signs, and had a wonderfully respectful conversation with us about the cameras. They let us explain our concerns about data sharing with the FBI, potential for abuse, and 4th amendment violations. We listened carefully as they related how Pocatello conducts audits on how officers use license plate data, and that the Flock cameras helped them recently save a 14 year old girl who’d run away with a 25 year old stalker. All of us left with a greater appreciation for the other’s viewpoint.
To paraphrase the Declaration of Independence: “When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary [to protest surveillance cameras], a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the [protestation].” The Founders chose words first, swords second.
So let us use the system our Founding Fathers established and appeal to the City Council for change. A preliminary discussion on the Flock cameras already occurred on August 13 where the Police Department was thoroughly transparent and highly respectful. Let Pocatello’s freedom fighters do the same.
-Elijah Buchanan, Chubbuck
