MORAGA — Sometimes the Flock license-plate reader cameras were sprayed with pink spray paint; other times they were struck with bats, hit with BB guns, or simply unscrewed.
The incidents occurred throughout February and March, in San Francisco, Oakland, Orinda, Moraga and Concord, according to police. Now, authorities suspect an 18-year-old man from Lafayette is responsible. He was arrested April 7 in Lafayette on suspicion of felony vandalism after police say they caught him leaving the scene after vandalizing a Flock camera on Rheem Boulevard in Moraga, which had been hit three prior times in March.
The teen’s arrest comes as police around the Bay Area are investigating a string of vandalisms aimed at Flock cameras, the privately-owned network which records images and license plates of passing cars. The cameras have sparked controversy around the nation from privacy advocates, including in San Jose, where three residents recently sued, arguing that the cameras subject citizens to nonstop warrantless surveillance.
Other advocacy groups, like Stop Flock and DeFlock, are aimed specifically at the surveillance giant, mapping out the locations of its cameras and advocating for more restrictions. Other pockets of the internet have advocated for less-legal pushback, like Reddit threads that discuss the most effective ways to deactivate the cameras.
Cities around the Bay Area have continued to embrace the camera network, as well as drones and other surveillance tools, calling them necessary for public safety.
In Oakland, police are investigating several incidents where a person or group flung purple paint over cameras or their solar panels, the news site Oaklandside reported. On March 18, four Flock cameras in Oakland stopped working on the same day, after being shot with BB guns. In one of those incidents, the camera burst into flames because the BB struck its battery, causing a small explosion, authorities said.
The 18-year-old Lafayette man was arrested thanks in part to the cameras he allegedly sought to destroy. Police say the surveillance system linked his Chevy Volt to several incidents. The footage also helped narrow down his motive; just before cameras were hit, he gave them the middle finger on more than one occasion, authorities said.
Despite the arrest, the man has avoided criminal charges in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties thus far, court records show. He was released from jail after being booked on the vandalism charge, and police say they’re still investigating.