Fresno police said Friday on social media they were looking for men who allegedly stole two Flock Safety cameras that were privately owned, and many commenters took the time to either praise the men or give a tongue-in-cheek alibi to one alleged thief.
Police announced on Facebook and Instagram before noon on Friday officers were looking for two men connected to the grand theft of two cameras, noting the Flock cameras were worth about $5,000. They named one suspect in the theft that took place near Woodrow and San Gabriel avenues.
The post notes the cameras were privately owned, but police did not disclose the exact location. The intersection released by police is in the middle of a residential neighborhood with apartments, at least one church and Vinland Park nearby.
Commenters took to the post by police to express their disdain for public surveillance.
“If I see him, I’m buying him a beer!” Johnny Pereira said on the police Facebook post.
Flock and other similar cameras have been controversial in recent months. A national week of protest against the cameras was observed this week, and pushed by groups like Fresno Resistance, which has been vocal about what they see as the problem with public surveillance and the creep of technology into police work.
“Nah….. couldn’t have been him he was with us alllllllll night long. Free this man!” Fresno Resistance wrote on the FPD Instagram page.
Fresno police have said there are about 70 Flock cameras in the city they use. An anti-Flock website called DeFlock lists about 180 cameras across the city, which includes privately owned cameras in residential areas and shopping centers like River Park.
Many of the commenters thanked the suspect named by police, and even more still joked that they had an alibi for the alleged thief.
“Couldn’t be him, he was helping me with a roof repair everyday for the last 3 months,” Tyler Williams wrote on the Facebook post.
“Impossible, he was hanging with me all day,” Nickolas Martinez wrote. “On a side note, does he have a cashapp?”
The Fresno police are in their final year of a contract with Flock, which Police Chief Mindy Casto has argued is a useful tool for catching assailants. Many people in the community have spoken out against the cameras.
Casto told the Fresno City Council in June that police will soon offer a community program where residents can link their cameras to the police system. That planned program is through Axon cameras.