Flock camera vandalism reports
Camera damage has become common enough to affect procurement decisions — at least one county in the reporting collected here removed cameras citing repair costs. This page tracks 15 reported cases of ALPR cameras being damaged or destroyed.
This is a record of what has been reported and what happened to the people involved. It is not encouragement or instruction: damaging a camera is a property crime, frequently charged as a felony given equipment costs. See the penalties explainer for what that exposure actually looks like.
15
Stories tracked
October 19, 2026
Most recent story
July 30, 2026
Earliest tracked
Flock camera vandalism reports: the coverage
Every item links to the outlet that reported it. FlockScanner does not write, verify or endorse these stories — see the content policy for how the feed works.
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Automated license plate reader technology leads to two arrests in Virginia Beach shooting investigation
13newsnow.com · October 19, 2026
Automated license plate reader technology leads to two arrests in Virginia Beach shooting investigation — reported by 13newsnow.com.
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Suspect arrested after allegedly shooting Flock Safety cameras in Wichita Falls
Texomashomepage.com · October 19, 2026
Suspect arrested after allegedly shooting Flock Safety cameras in Wichita Falls — reported by Texomashomepage.com.
Read the summary → Original reporting at Texomashomepage.com ↗
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Man charged with damaging license plate reader cameras now faces child sex abuse material possession charges
Daily Herald · October 13, 2026
Man charged with damaging license plate reader cameras now faces child sex abuse material possession charges — reported by Daily Herald.
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Flock Safety Links Gunshot Alerts to License Plate Data: The Fourth Amendment Danger of Acoustic Gunshot-Triggered ALPR Networks
Yahoo · September 29, 2026
Flock Safety Links Gunshot Alerts to License Plate Data: The Fourth Amendment Danger of Acoustic Gunshot-Triggered ALPR Networks — reported by Yahoo.
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Police investigate after west Wichita Flock camera cut down
Wichita Eagle · September 20, 2026
Police investigate after west Wichita Flock camera cut down — reported by Wichita Eagle.
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Flock camera vandals say privacy reforms aren’t enough: ‘The changes are bull----’
NBC News · August 21, 2026
Flock camera vandals say privacy reforms aren’t enough: ‘The changes are bull----’ — reported by NBC News.
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Georgia sheriff offers $1,000 reward after Flock Safety camera vandalized amid growing surveillance debate
CBS News · August 20, 2026
Georgia sheriff offers $1,000 reward after Flock Safety camera vandalized amid growing surveillance debate — reported by CBS News.
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Summit County investigates license plate camera vandalism
KPCW · August 17, 2026
Summit County investigates license plate camera vandalism — reported by KPCW.
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Police investigate vandalism of license plate reader on Cedar Rapids' northwest side
KGAN · August 13, 2026
Police investigate vandalism of license plate reader on Cedar Rapids' northwest side — reported by KGAN.
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Guadalupe County terminates Flock Safety contract amid rising vandalism costs
WOAI · August 8, 2026
Guadalupe County terminates Flock Safety contract amid rising vandalism costs — reported by WOAI.
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Burnet County removes license plate reader cameras after vandalism incidents
cbsaustin.com · August 6, 2026
Burnet County removes license plate reader cameras after vandalism incidents — reported by cbsaustin.com.
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Burnet County removes Flock Safety cameras after damage incidents
KVUE · August 4, 2026
Burnet County removes Flock Safety cameras after damage incidents — reported by KVUE.
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Tennessee Congressional Candidate Arrested for Shooting Flock Safety Cameras
yahoo.com · August 2, 2026
Tennessee Congressional Candidate Arrested for Shooting Flock Safety Cameras — reported by yahoo.com.
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Independent congressional candidate charged with shooting ALPR systems in Tennessee
WBIR · August 1, 2026
Independent congressional candidate charged with shooting ALPR systems in Tennessee — reported by WBIR.
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Pismo Beach man arrested for damaging Flock Safety cameras in Monterey County, deputies say
ABC30 News · July 30, 2026
Pismo Beach man arrested for damaging Flock Safety cameras in Monterey County, deputies say — reported by ABC30 News.
Common questions
Are Flock cameras being vandalised?
Yes, and often enough to influence agency decisions. FlockScanner tracks 15 reported cases of ALPR cameras being cut down, shot, or otherwise damaged, in locations including Houston (TX), Hewitt (TX), Blount County (TN), Cedar Rapids (IA) and Monterey County (CA). Guadalupe and Burnet counties in Texas were reported to have removed cameras partly because of repair costs.
What happens if you damage a Flock camera?
It is prosecuted as property damage, and because ALPR units are expensive the loss amount often pushes the charge into felony territory. Reported cases have resulted in arrests and criminal charges, including for cutting cameras down and for shooting them. Cameras also frequently record the person damaging them. See FlockScanner's page on penalties for damaging a Flock camera for the general legal pattern — it is not legal advice.
Other news topics
- Cities that cancelled Flock cameras (168)
- Flock camera privacy concerns (124)
- Opposition to Flock cameras (115)
- Flock camera data sharing and breaches (97)
- Flock camera audits and oversight (74)
- Flock camera misuse and abuse cases (49)
- ALPR and Flock camera legislation (46)
- Flock camera lawsuits (44)
- Flock camera misidentification cases (4)
- Flock cameras and immigration enforcement (3)
Where the cameras are
FlockScanner also maps documented ALPR camera locations across the US — see the live map, camera locations by state, or cameras near you.