Why So Many Amarillo Residents Want Flock Cameras Removed

One of, if not the biggest, topics in Amarillo recently has been the use of Flock cameras. It's become a hot-button topic not just here but across the nation as more and more places are implementing them.

There have been a lot of calls for the Flock cameras to be removed immediately from the city, and not because people are worried about being caught by the Flock cameras. One of those reasons recently reared its ugly head.

Amarillo Police Officer Misuses Flock Cameras

It didn't take us very long to see the Flock camera system be misused. Now former Officer Christian Eder is alleged to have used the cameras illegally. He was fired from the department back on July 17th when the findings were uncovered by APD.

Eder is now facing 78 counts for tampering with a government record. What did he do? He allegedly searched a citizen's license plate 76 different times using the Flock cameras, and also looked up the citizen's name twice. He then allegedly falsified the reason for looking up the info.

Why Are So Many People Upset With Flock Cameras

The biggest reason many are so upset with the installation and use of the cameras is that many are arguing it constitutes mass surveillance without a warrant. Yes, every time you drive past a Flock camera, it snaps your license plate and shows where you were at a certain time. I can understand how many feel this way.

In a sense, it is kind of mass surveillance. There are currently 87 Flock cameras installed around Amarillo, and there has been discussion of the city purchasing and installing even more of them. It seems the Amarillo Police Department disagrees with the majority.

What Is The Purpose Of Flock Cameras

As you pass through the camera, it doesn't just log the license plate. It grabs the make, model, and color of your car. However, it doesn't stop there. It'll also log unique markings on the car, such as bumper stickers, roof racks, and even scratches. That's a lot of data being collected.

The purpose is not to track every individual's movement across the city, but to be able to track down people with outstanding warrants, locate missing persons, find stolen vehicles, reconstruct the travel history of a suspect, etc. However, cases like Eder's have us believing that the cameras are being used for the wrong reasons.