“There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear. There’s a man with a gun over there. Telling me I got to beware.” — Stephen Stills
The following conversation took place at our house:
ME: I don’t see what the uproar is about Flock cameras. They help catch bad guys.
MY WIFE: Of course you don’t. You are willing to sacrifice privacy in exchange for security.
We have been having a version of this same conversation for 25 years. Ever since 9/11. The thing is I think both of us are right. Just depends on your perspective.
Let’s start with what Flock cameras are. They are automated license plate readers made by a company called Flock Security. They record the plates, make, model and color of passing vehicles. The data gathered goes to a cloud shared by law enforcement agencies. In short, they help track and catch bad guys. They can also assist in finding children who have been kidnapped.
All good so far? Critics argue that the technology Flock cameras use tracks everyday citizens, not just criminal suspects. It’s important to note that these cameras do not have facial recognition; they simply record vehicles.
So, it’s a mixed bag. Certainly, the cameras can be a big asset to law enforcement agencies. They also have the potential for misuse. But then, so does normal police work. See George Floyd in Minneapolis. Yet, nobody except a few left-wing crazies wants to get rid of the police. Look, after Sept. 11, 2001, the United States lost a sense of security that we had felt our whole lives. The debate between privacy and safety really ramped up. Having lived in the Washington D.C. area at the time, I was very concerned. Does anybody here remember the anthrax scare? At my radio station nobody was allowed to open mail until it had been scanned by security. One day I came home to find some brownies I wasn’t expecting on the front porch. I left them outside untouched until I found out they were from a friend.
So, getting back to the question on Flock cameras, what do we do? I suggest we don’t throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water. The cameras have so much potential to do good. But, to protect the innocent huge penalties need to be levied on those who misuse this incredible technology.
Benjamin Franklin put it this way: “Those who would give up liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither.” Mr. Franklin obviously sides with my wife’s point of view. Which of us is right? I think it’s THE question of the 21st century.
Chris Core is a former Washington, D.C. radio and television personality who now lives in Pass-a-Grille. He is a winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding achievement in broadcast journalism.