Community Conversations | Why Am I Concerned With Flock Cameras
- Rachael Dowling
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Every time I knock on doors in Neenah, Menasha, and Fox Crossing, I ask people a simple question:
"What issues are you most concerned about?"
I expected to hear about taxes, roads, housing, or schools. What surprised me was how many conversations eventually turned to privacy.
Many residents had never heard of Flock Safety cameras. Others had seen them around town but assumed they simply helped police locate stolen vehicles or suspects involved in serious crimes.
Those are legitimate uses of the technology.
But as I spent more time researching the system, I realized the conversation is much bigger than solving crime.
It raises an important question:
How do we balance public safety with personal privacy?
That question deserves an honest discussion here in the Fox Valley.
This Isn't Just About Neenah... Why Am I Concerned With Flock Cameras
Whether you live in Neenah, Menasha, or Fox Crossing, your daily routine probably crosses city boundaries.
You might...
Drive to work in Neenah.
Take your children to school in Menasha.
Shop in Fox Crossing.
Attend church on Sunday.
Visit family.
Go to a doctor's appointment.
Meet friends for dinner.
To most of us, those are ordinary parts of life. And that's why I am concerned about flock cameras.
But automated license plate reader systems can record those trips and make them searchable later. The systems are designed to capture license plates and associated information that can assist investigations, while also creating a record of vehicle movements over time. Flock calls this tracking a "Heat Map..."
The more I learned, the more questions I had.
The Conversation That Changed My Perspective
While knocking on doors, I asked residents whether they knew these systems could potentially reveal patterns about their daily lives.
Most didn't.
When I explained that repeated vehicle scans can show when someone regularly leaves for work, attends church, or is away on vacation, many people stopped me and said...
"Wait... really?"
That reaction wasn't about politics.
It was about privacy.
My Best Experience With Flock
To be fair, I've also seen these systems help.
After an incident involving my children at a local park, investigators were able to use vehicle information to help identify those involved.
That matters.
Technology can absolutely help solve crimes.
I don't dispute that.
My Biggest Concern
What concerns me isn't one investigation.
It's what happens when a system designed for specific investigations becomes capable of revealing a detailed picture of someone's everyday life.
Privacy advocates, attorneys, and researchers have raised concerns about how automated license plate readers can reveal where people live, work, worship, attend political events, and travel over time.
Those concerns deserve to be discussed openly.
Transparency Builds Trust
One of the things that surprised me most was seeing just how many agencies participate in data-sharing networks.
I made a video simply scrolling through the list.
It took over a minute.
That wasn't intended to be dramatic.
It was intended to answer a question many residents had asked:
"Who can access this information?"
Whether someone supports these systems or not, I believe citizens deserve to understand how they work, who has access, what safeguards exist, and how misuse is prevented.
Both the City of Neenah and the City of Menasha have "Flock Transparency" portals. Town of Fox Crossing does not.
Below you'll see two videos: one from City of Neenah and the City of Menasha. Both videos show which agencies have access to your data.
City of Neenah Flock Portal:
City of Menasha Flock Portal:
The Questions I Think We Should Be Asking
This isn't about being anti-police.
It's not about opposing technology.
It's about asking responsible questions before expanding surveillance systems.
Questions like:
What data is collected?
How long is it stored?
Who has access?
How is access audited?
What happens if someone misuses the system?
How are residents notified about changes to these policies?
When updates happen that increase the technology capabilities, are we notified?
These aren't anti-law enforcement questions.
They're good government questions.
Want to See Where ALPR Cameras Are Located?
If you're curious about where automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras are located in your community, I encourage you to check out DeFlock.
DeFlock is a community-driven mapping project that allows users to report and verify the locations of ALPR cameras across the country. Because the map relies on public records, open-source information, and community submissions, it is not a complete list of every camera. Instead, it serves as a helpful tool to increase public awareness and transparency. DeFlock
If you notice a camera in your community that isn't listed, you can also contribute by submitting its location for verification. The goal isn't to create fear... it's to help citizens better understand the technology that's being installed in the places where we live, work, shop, and travel.
*Each dot on this map shows a citizen reported camera.
My Commitment
As your representative, I don't believe difficult conversations should happen behind closed doors.
Whether we're talking about Flock cameras, data centers, housing, or taxes...
The people of Neenah, Menasha, and Fox Crossing deserve to understand what's happening, ask questions, and have a voice before decisions are made.
That's why I'm raising these questions.
Not because I've already decided every answer...
But because I believe our community deserves the opportunity to ask them.
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