GoKawiilThree weeks ago, in Winona, Minnesota, a person or persons unknown cut down and stole every single Flock camera in the city. Four pairs of two cameras each, trained on the roads in and out of town.
The police department posted to their Facebook page to ask for the public’s help solving the crime, only to be flooded by people supporting the vandals.
Last week, in Winona, Minnesota, the police declared their surrender.
Our community’s trust is the foundation of effective policing, and we’ve worked hard to build and maintain that trust. While Flock has been a valuable tool, we believe its use has contributed to growing concerns about trust in policing, both locally and across the state and nation. After careful consideration, [the] Winona PD has decided not to reinstall any Flock cameras in the city of Winona.
And I’ve tracked at least two other jurisdictions that have followed the same pattern.
Social movements are effective specifically when there is solidarity between their broader base and the people who are committing criminal direct action. When social movements stand behind their criminals, they win.
Winona, Minnesota is not an edge case. This year in particular, all over the country (red state, blue state, it doesn’t matter), people have been attacking the surveillance state and being regarded as heroes for doing so.
I genuinely don’t know if I’ve ever seen a more popular crime wave.
I got my tires replaced last week in a rust belt city, and spent awhile talking to the folks working there. The conversation hit upon flock cameras.
“Where are all our corn-fed motherfuckers, they need to do something about this shit,” one man told me.
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