Tell Harrisonburg City Council: take down the Flock cameras

Harrisonburg City Council: Deanna Reed, Laura Dent, Monica Robinson, Nasser Al-Saadun, Dany Fleming

Harrisonburg city is currently using 30 Flock surveillance cameras. Their use puts the safety and privacy of our residents and community at risk.

Harrisonburg should join the dozens of cities across the country, including Staunton and Charlottesville, that have decided to cancel their contracts with Flock.

Our concerns:

  • Nationally, Flock's surveillance data is being used by ICE. Flock has lied about these ties, and investigative reporters have uncovered these lies. HPD claims that its Flock data is never shared with third parties. If Flock is lying elsewhere about data usage by ICE, why should we believe that they are being honest with HPD about where our city's data is being used?

  • Even *if* the Harrisonburg Flock data were totally secure and not being used by ICE, we still don't want our Harrisonburg tax dollars supporting a company that is aiding Trump's cruel campaign of deportation in other cities.

  • These cameras violate our 4th Amendment right to privacy. Flock cameras capture details on every vehicle that passes by. Not only license plates, but also personal data. This creates a searchable record of where everyone has been, at any time, without a warrant or probable cause.

  • Innocent people are wrongfully targeted with no accountability for Flock errors. Mistakes caused by Flock’s use of AI have resulted in innocent people being detained and mistreated, leading to expensive legal settlements for cities. Flock takes no accountability for these mistakes.

  • Flock’s weak security practices are a dream come true for hackers and stalkers. At least 35 Flock customer accounts have been stolen and sold on the dark web. At least 60 Flock cameras were accidentally exposed on the internet with no password. Flock accidentally shared access to personal information that puts both residents and officers at risk. Two US Congress members are calling for an FTC investigation into their negligence as it endangers our national security.

  • Vast amounts of energy and water are being expended to store the data from Flock cameras across the country every second of the day. This data is being used to train AI by companies like Palantir (who can then share it with ICE).

Flock surveillance cameras don’t make us safer, they make us vulnerable targets, and they erode community trust. Flock cameras are tools that can too easily be misused or abused and it’s the residents of Harrisonburg who will suffer the consequences

More info:

https://www.404media.co/emails-reveal-the-casual-surveillance-alliance-between-ice-and-local-police/

https://immpolicytracking.org/policies/reported-ice-accessing-flock-automated-license-plate-reader-cameras-via-local-law-enforcement/

https://stateofsurveillance.org/articles/surveillance/flock-safety-license-plate-readers-ice-2025/

https://www.404media.co/ice-taps-into-nationwide-ai-enabled-camera-network-data-shows/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1-uiUlHTo

https://deflock.org/

Sponsored by
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deflock hburg
Harrisonburg, VA

To: Harrisonburg City Council: Deanna Reed, Laura Dent, Monica Robinson, Nasser Al-Saadun, Dany Fleming
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned residents of Harrisonburg, urge the city council to recommit to public safety by cutting ties with Flock, and by adopting an ordinance mandating public input prior to any future funding, acquisition, or use of any other mass surveillance technology.

We do not need to be spending our limited tax dollars on ineffective, dangerous mass surveillance.

The safest communities are rooted in trust and care. Meeting basic needs (food, housing, education) is what reduces crime, not faulty tech.

A truly friendly city cannot include mass surveillance and supporting companies that aid ICE.