They give you a free sample, some free cameras, and you get hooked because it's effective at certain things.
After canceling its Flock contract and taking the cameras down, the city passed an ordinance that requires public input before any future surveillance technology is installed.
“It was a big deal, because until then we had little data on where these cameras are officially placed.”
Last summer, Immigration and Customs Enforcement tapped Flock data at five Virginia localities without their knowledge through “side-door access,” Keener said.
Nhan said he was involved in a study looking for links between the proliferation of Flock cameras and reductions in crime rates or the number of crimes solved.