Flock license plate reader camera in Greenport vandalized again, police say

A Flock Safety license plate reader camera in Greenport was vandalized again last week, following a string of similar incidents last month, Southold Town Police Chief Steve Grattan said.

A police officer patrolling the area noticed last Thursday that the camera on the corner of Manhasset Avenue and Main Road, and the solar panel powering it, were splashed with red paint, he said in an interview.

This is the third time this camera has been vandalized, Grattan said; it previously had its wires pulled out and was splashed by paint last month. Another camera in Greenport, which was mounted on a small pole at the edge of the road, was struck by a vehicle and destroyed. A camera in Peconic, also in Southold Town, was found last month turned away from traffic, Newsday previously reported.

“I understand that folks have their concerns about these cameras, and those concerns should be addressed and not dismissed,” the chief said. “But I also think there are more constructive ways to express your frustration with these cameras than by vandalizing them.”

Flock cameras capture images of passing vehicle license plates, collect information using AI-powered software and make the information available in a searchable database to its customers. They have been criticized by privacy advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union, which has encouraged people to advocate for the cameras’ removal.

Skepticism of Flock has been noted in other states and in Suffolk County, where county officials recently finalized a new five-year, $3.7 million contract to expand the company's surveillance systems with gunshot detection sensors, Newsday previously reported.

“For us, they're one resource out of many that we use for investigating crimes and for locating missing persons, and we find them to be very valuable for that,” Grattan added. Police used Flock cameras earlier this year to locate a missing 79-year-old Orient woman with dementia who had traveled out of state.

There have been no arrests made in connection with the incidents. Detectives are continuing to investigate and are reviewing video surveillance in the area, Grattan said.

The town has requested the camera be repaired by Flock Safety, but it has not yet been fixed, Grattan said. Flock has repaired broken cameras without charging the town, he added. There are 11 Flock cameras in the town, eight of which are Suffolk County Sheriff Department property, the chief has said.

Hundreds of license-plate reader cameras are around Long Island, according to DeFlock, a website that maps automatic license plate readers and argues against their use. Last week, a Shirley man was arrested and charged with stealing two Axon license plate reader cameras from an intersection in Shirley, police said.