Flock Safety: A Tool for the Common Good

Technology, like every man-made innovation, has various possibilities. As I began typing these words, for instance, the “copilot” writing app popped up asking what I wanted it to do. Technology is a tool for us to use, and for me, a poor speller, I use “spell check” and ignore “copilot.” So the other day, when I read a brief review about a thing called Flock Safety, as when an individual bird flies in a flock, it is safer, I was intrigued.

I discovered that the cameras seen on selected utility poles in many public locations are Flock Safety cameras, which automatically record passing cars and their license plates. The photograph of the license plate is stored for up to 30 days unless it is being used in a criminal investigation before being permanently destroyed.  The system does not record photographs of the vehicle’s driver.

Obviously, some people criticize Flock Safety cameras. Some of the objections to Flock Safety are that the photograph of a vehicle and its license plate violates the Constitution’s 4th Amendment; the photograph could be mistakenly or intentionally used by law enforcement for an illegal purpose; the information could be sold to a 3rd party; or it could be shared with ICE and other agencies.  Some folks also see Flock Safety as an intrusion into their private lives or worse, primarily because the photographs on Flock Safety can be viewed by law enforcement without obtaining a warrant, unlike in the case of a cellphone or home. And as usual, there are outlier stories of its misuse, such as the Kansas policeman who used it to track his ex-wife.

While I appreciate the 4^th Amendment concerns and the outlier stories about Flock Safety, I suggest that we all take a moment and consider the balance between what we may lose and what we may gain. Remember that Flock Safety cameras only record in public areas. They record only a state-issued and controlled license plate and its vehicle.

Having a photograph of my license plate and vehicle taken as I drive on a public street is no inconvenience or threat to me, but such a camera could help law enforcement solve a crime, find a missing person, or prevent a series of crimes between jurisdictions. For those reasons, I suggest that Flock Safety is a useful tool that deserves support.

While I value and appreciate the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the protections they give all of us who live in America, I also realize that those rights come with individual and collective responsibilities. In his book The Bill of Obligations, Richard Haass explains ten habits of good citizens. His number 8 obligation is Support the Common Good.

When I consider Flock Safety, I think about whether we are better or worse off with it.  Supporting its presence seems like a civic responsibility, not a violated right.

Roger Barbee
Woodstock, VA

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