Police chief unplugs cameras after Flock ignores contract cancellation

bluecollarworke

Gee, with vendors like this, who needs criminals?

voakbasda

So if they no longer have a contract, how is it legal for Flock to continue to use the allocated resources? Why not hit them with theft of service for continuing to draw power and use public infrastructure? They will never change their behavior when there are no consequences for their actions.

Papazsazsa

One of the most compelling aspects of American governance is the latitude local law enforcement has. They can be both an ally and enemy to freedom.

Surac

We need flock in every politics bedrooms

kirykl

The cameras seem vulnerable to a simple non-invasive opaque elastic-banded plastic shower cap

1970-01-01

It is just that simple folks. Unplug it.

Closi

I think this is sensationalised - it looks like they only waited about a week after cancellation before they started unplugging them. But I can't find any easy information on the contract they had with Flock, but it could well take a week for Flock to be able to respond properly after working out what to do with lawyers etc. The article says that the account management team had been in touch... so... I think this is just a PR piece for the police chief to look 'hard'.

thelastgallon

I wonder if millions of people take it to small claims court… would it work?

nekusar

And the real answer that needs to be done is a charge PER FLOCK DEVICE of criminal trespass, per day. And the charge needs to be applied via RICO to all the C levels and the board of directors. This doesn't abrogate the paid contract. But you trespass the owners of said hardware after being formally notified for removal. A counter-example: how well received would it be if I made a solar/camera/battery/cell device that was called "PigSty" and only tracked police vehicles? How would the city/county/state go after me for those devices?

pmkary

Don't know about you; but I really can't imagine saying no to Police!

lifeisloving

The under discussed thing with ALPR cameras is how when municipalities dont approve funding for flock contracts on the basis of budget constraints, police departments will suddenly get mysterious one million dollar grants from the federal government to use them. Flock will also operate free of charge and are more than willing to take promisary notes and install them without ever getting payment while budgets are debated. Because once they're up they know they'll just get the grants approved, and its much harder to take them down. Flock seems way more like a government program larping as a private company. Its kind of hard to approach congress for multi billion dollar budget as the NSA/CIA/FBI for Orwellian domestic spy programs, so intelligence finds a nice tech bro to be the face of it and bankroll the startup with private capital, and then funnel money to them through less discretionary programs like grants for public saftey and local law enforcement. Call me a conspiracy head but this is clearly a psuedo private company.

usernametaken29

I hope they sent them a hefty service charge. “Disconnection by security forces, 3000$ a piece”. Should get their attention real quick.

RetroTechie

I have trouble understanding why anyone would even want to be associated with a company that displayed such low ethics, repeatedly. Never mind doing business with them. CEO... sure that beach vacation will still be nice after they've collected their golden parachute while company goes up in flames. But anyone else?

sitzkrieg

we got physical malware politics before gta6

giantg2

I wonder if the Flock contracts allow for the removal of equipment? The camera installation is generally incidental to the services provided. The contract might allow for the permanent installation while cancelation just terminates services provided.

cmiles8

Flock is turning into a textbook case of what “toxic brand” means. Municipalities are fleeing for the hills over Flock. Increasingly no official wants to be associated with or seen to be supporting the brand in any way. The only points to be scored with constituents now is firing Flock.

surround

btw Flock was funded by Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/flock-safety

carlosjobim

What a nonsense news article, perfectly aligned to titillate the impotent rage of redditor type persons - and unfortunately hackers. Contract ended in September and the company hasn't yet collected their equipment. Oh, what an amazing modern battlefield between everybody I don't like and everybody I like . > but it failed to respond even after a week Read that sentence again and think about it. Are you being propagandized? I once had to wait for 3 years for an ice cream vendor to come take back their freezers, and 5 years for the beer vendor to come take their fridges. These kind of things aren't exactly priority.

juliusceasar

Somehow Israeli think they are untouchable in USA