Grand jury declines to indict Ohio man charged with destroying Flock camera

A expansive assemblage successful Ohio has declined to indict a man charged pinch felony vandalism for allegedly destroying a Flock automatic licence sheet scholar camera.

Police successful Union Township, a Cincinnati suburb, accused Cody Morelock of disassembling the camera, its support rod and star sheet connected June 13.

Investigators, according to WKRC-TV successful Cincinnati, identified Morelock aft obtaining surveillance footage from different cameras adjacent the segment arsenic good arsenic accusation linked to a in installments paper and a customer rewards account.

Police estimated the harm astatine much than $1,000. Morelock posted a $10,000 enslaved and was released from custody soon aft his arrest.

A Clermont County expansive jury, however, opted not to indict Morelock, and the charges were dismissed.

Flock guidance growing

While specifications connected the expansive jury’s determination are limited, it comes amid a growing backlash against Flock and its cameras.

The company’s cameras grounds the licence sheet numbers and characteristics of vehicles that walk by. The information is past hosted successful a cardinal database that tin beryllium accessed not only by section constabulary but often by rule enforcement agencies successful different cities and states.

The incident successful Union Township is portion of an ongoing inclination that has seen dozens of Flock cameras vandalized crossed the country. Earlier this month, constabulary successful Winona, Minnesota, reported that personification had cut down and stolen each of the city’s 8 licence sheet scholar cameras.

Social media users are promoting a loosely organized arena known arsenic “De-Flock America Night,” encouraging group to vandalize aliases obscure Flock cameras connected Halloween.

The backlash against Flock has intensified arsenic a increasing number of constabulary officers person been accused of aliases charged pinch abusing the technology, often to stalk romanticist interests. As of Aug. 12, location had been much than 100 cases of abuse by rule enforcement, according to the Institute for Justice.

In response, Flock announced new safeguards designed to forestall misuse by police. Critics, specified arsenic the Electronic Frontier Foundation, reason that the reforms are mostly “cosmetic,” and that warrants should beryllium required for searching licence sheet scholar data.

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