Flock Cameras are Being Vandalized All Around Iowa

Last week, I wrote about Flock cameras, what they are, what the controversy behind them is about, and where they are located around the city of Dubuque. This week, The Des Moines Register wrote about how Flock cameras around Iowa are being vandalized.

Let me make something abundantly clear. I do not condone vandalism of any kind, including vandalism to Flock cameras. I do not want to live in a violent or vandalized community. That said, I understand it. When response to outrage and controversy leads to inaction — such as jurisdictions doubling-down on things residents do not want, be them Flock cameras or data centers, to name a couple hot-button topics right now — this is the result you're inevitably going to get. The disenfranchised will rebel with violence or through the only means in which they feel they can make an impact.

What are Flock Cameras?:

Simply, put Flock cameras are surveillance cameras manufactured by Flock Safety, a private company based in Atlanta, GA. They are similar to motion-based traffic cameras. They come equipped with a built-in license plate reader that has the capabilities of tracking data about your vehicle and upload those details to the cloud. It can make out your vehicle make, model, color, and event unique qualities about it (including dents in your body). While the cameras were created with the intent of tracking stolen vehicles, or to aid law enforcement, justifiable questions have been levied about the privacy of innocent, everyday individuals.

As of 2025, Flock claimed to operate in over 5,000 communities across 49 US states. At that same point in time, Flock had performed over 20 billion scans of vehicles in the US every single month. Those figures have only increased.

Flock Camera Vandalism Around Iowa:

The Des Moines Register dug into the vandalism of Flock cameras around Iowa. Here are some of their findings:

One was sawed down in Pleasant Hill
Three have been vandalized in Johnston
Four were shot in Wapello County
Four have been vandalized in Ankeny

More than 120,000 Flock cameras exist in cities across America, many of them at entry points into locales and along high-traffic roads. Every camera records a photograph of every passing car. Artificial intelligence technology tracks license plates and analyzes details about your vehicle. The data is primarily used by law enforcement to aid in investigations. Per The Des Moines Register, many people fear the data collected by the cameras are being used to aid in deportations, or is being used for personal matters unrelated to policing.

Flock Camera Vandalism is Not Unique to Iowa:

The ACLU has started a "Get the Flock Out!" campaign that calls for cities and police departments to end their contracts with Flock Safety. The city of Coralville ended their contract earlier this year.

Around the country, Flock cameras are a new target for vandals. In Virginia, some cameras were destroyed with baseball bats. Some were splattered with paint in New York, and hit by a truck in California. Flock Safety spokesperson Courtney Terlecki released a statement to The Des Moines Register:

People have every right to make their voices heard, but criminal acts should never be part of that process. Damaging public safety equipment ultimately hurts the very communities this technology is there to help protect - Flock Safety spokesperson Courtney Terlecki, per The Des Moines Register

The cost to replace a Flock camera is around $7,000, per The Des Moines Register, and the money comes from the city budget. In Ankeny alone, four of its 16 cameras have been destroyed or vandalized in some capacity.

You can find out more about the extent of the vandalism of Flock cameras on The Des Moines Register's website.