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There’s been plenty of buzz lately around vandalism of Flock Safety’s automatic license plate readers, which are AI-integrated surveillance cameras that index license plate data from passing vehicles indiscriminately and without a warrant.
Countless vigilantes have taken to the roadways armed with trash bags, spray paint, laser pointers, and power drills to render the surveillance poles useless, resulting in arrests and investigations by police.
But what if there was another way to block Flock cameras that didn’t involve damaging public property? Turns out they’ll come after you for that, too.
A 77-year old Florida man named Carl Gunn decided to take matters into his own hands and block a Flock camera in his neighborhood. His method is unorthodox: he doesn’t destroy anything, but simply uses a 12-foot pool skimmer with a sign taped to the end reading “DOWN WITH FLOCK CAMERAS.”
Footage of the one-man protest shows Gunn lounging in a camping chair with his comically long sign in one hand and an umbrella in the other. Speaking to weekly paper Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, the protestor justified his action saying the “Flock company, they’re doing this for profit.”
“They don’t own the air,” Gunn continued. “We didn’t give them permission to do it on us. If they want to do it for profit, I want my paycheck.”
The 77-year old has staged at least two protests so far, CL reports, both at different Flock cameras. Two St Petersburg squad cars rolled up on him during one protest, prompting a community member to stop and film the encounter.
“Yo, what’s your name? I’ll come bail you out!” shouts the passerby, a St Petersburg local named Tyler Knight. “You got the boys out protecting it [the ALPR].”
“F**k the Flock cameras, and f**k you for not looking out for us,” Knight hollers at the officers before driving off.
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