The Idaho Flock Cameras Debate Heats Up. Where Do You Stand?

Flock Safety cameras are popping up all over Idaho, and some residents are not happy about it. Let's break it down.

Flock Safety's AI-powered Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) are being installed across Idaho.

Their intended purpose is to assist law enforcement officials when it comes to traffic violations and accidents. 

The Flock Safety website touts "Clear evidence. Safer Communities. Privacy first." We can all agree on that right?

Apparently not.

Flock Safety Cameras analyze and capture details of passing vehicles. Make, model, color, license plate number, dents, scratches, bumper stickers, bike rack, etc., and of course, date, time, and location of the vehicle. These details become searchable data points and are stored in the system for future reference.

Outside of some of real time info these cameras capture, most of those details and more are already known by your local DMV when you register your vehicle.

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However, residents in several Idaho cities have launched major campaigns against the cameras in their communities. They are Caldwell, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, and Wilder. The residents in these cities are citing invasion of privacy and city government and law enforcement overreach. Critics are pushing to restrict how the data is used or to have them removed all together.

white and black camera on tripod

According to The Idaho Statesman, The Idaho State Journal and Eastidahonews.com

Boise does not use Flock cameras. Instead, they rely on another license plate reader platforms. It's unknown how many they have in total.

Meridian has about 66 total traffic cameras and 16 of those are APLRs but, not Flock Safety cameras.

The Caldwell Police have over 40 of these Flock Cameras in high-traffic areas, and data is being fed into their Real-Time Information Center. This has sparked heated debates and prompted one local group that calls itself "Deflock Idaho" to push residents to petition to have them removed.

In Idaho Falls, there are 13 Flock Cameras, which the local authorities say have helped locate missing persons and cut down on cross-state trafficking.

The Twin Falls Police Department has 40 ALPRs, and they maintain that they are operating within the proper city and law enforcement codes. The anti-Flock camera debate isn't as loud in that part of the Gem State. Yet.

And Wilder and Caldwell are both claiming the city contracts violated state laws on how the data collected is being used. In response, the Wilder City Council amended its contract with the company, Flock Safety, to bar them from using the data collected to train their Artificial Intelligence models.

Personally, I understand protecting one's privacy. But, I think we can all admit, once we all started carrying around cellular devices and we agreed to the carrier's terms to have service, we have given up a lot of our privacy already, and no cameras were needed.

READ MORE: You Need To Disable These Privacy Settings In Idaho Now

Street cameras have been used for years to enforce traffic violations. This is nothing new. How come nobody spoke out against those over the years?  Or, private cameras on businesses or residents that survey the area around them.

traffic light under blue sky during daytime

Are companies violating your privacy rights if they video you in or around their establishment, or what about your neighbors security cams?

Idaho residents argue the issue of privacy over safety with Flock cameras.

The point is, I think unless you have scrubbed yourself from modern society and modern conveniences like credit/debit cards, the internet, and social media, and your living like a hermit off the grid, it's probably too late.

white and black cable car

And I, for one, could care less if a camera is filming me going through and intersection or reading my license plate while at a stop light. Because they've been doing it for years.

READ MORE: Lawsuit Claims Apple Has Been Spying On Idaho iPhone Users

Finally, it sounds like a classic example of not trusting "Big Brother". There will always be those that do, and those that don't. That's a personal choice.

If you're interested in signing the petition to ban flock cameras in Idaho go HERE

Be safe out there. They're watching.