Town Crier Articles

If you haven’t heard (really?) about Flock cameras, they are cameras which automatically capture license plate numbers and they are closer than you think. There is one at Monticello Avenue and Ironbound, as you enter into the City of Williamsburg, and another, now this is confusing, at Ironbound/Depue and Ironbound heading towards Aldi and CVS, opposite the stadium. Blink (another kind of camera) and you miss it, but it doesn’t miss you. 

 

There is a lot of controversy about these Flock cameras, designed, we are told, to help law enforcement capture the bad guys. This may be true, but many communities have rejected these and citizens and voters have not been asked if they approve of them, and they are deployed across the country. These cameras and their data can be accessed and shared nationally. But new measures which should become law eventually will limit access to the information, by whom and for how long. James City County, for example, has reduced the county's retention of data collected by its Flock surveillance cameras from 21 to 14 days.

 

If you don’t want your license plate recorded with Flock, there is a way to plan around them. DeFlock.org is a free, open-source map of every plate reader from Flock and others that volunteers have spotted. There’s also an ad supported free app, FlockHopper, which gives you routing options to your destination. More than 336,000 cameras pinned and counting. Flock’s CEO Garrett Langley reportedly blocks his plates and varies his routes. You can also, or not! Buckle up and drive safely!