WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — West Bloomfield police are seeing an uptick in vandalized Flock cameras this summer, part of a broader trend of camera damage across metro Detroit — including six destroyed in Livingston County recently, with about 25 temporarily removed.
Deputy Chief Brian Tash said several incidents have occurred in West Bloomfield alone this summer, including one near Haggerty and Westwin Lake where police say a driver ran over a camera before fleeing, and another near Walnut Lake and Inkster where someone cut the pole in half and stole the camera.
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"It's frustrating. Because I feel there's other ways to handle something than vandalizing a camera," Tash said.
The camera near Walnut Lake and Inkster was not the first time that specific location was targeted. Detective Philip Beasley said a prior incident dates back to June of 2024.
"The individual in this video is going to be observed using what appears to be a paint roller to roll paint on a flock camera," Beasley said.
Tash said the cameras collect limited data and are not intended to infringe on privacy.
"With Flock, it reads a license plate. It doesn't give us any information from a police side: who's driving it, where they live, their birthday, it shows the license plate information only," Tash said.
He said the cameras have been useful in finding suspects involved in home invasions, hit-and-runs, and most recently helped locate a missing person from the Nevada area who was eventually found in Michigan.
"They're actually a valuable tool and we're not looking to get into anyone's private lives," Tash said.
Residents in West Bloomfield are divided on the cameras. Some say they support them.
"I feel like they're possibly there to protect people," Lindsay Waldman said.
"I'm perfectly fine with the Flock cameras," Jack Hotz said.
But West Bloomfield resident Sean Lavine is not on board.
"With these Flock cameras, this is a mass surveillance system. I believe it's illegal, unconstitutional, and un-American," Lavine said.
Still, Lavine said vandalism is not the answer.
"I don't think that's the most productive use. I see a lot of people outraged about that. But I would encourage them to participate in their local political system," Lavine said.
Tash echoed that sentiment.
"We have Town Hall meetings, and we have people come in and voice their concerns about Flock, and that's the way of going about doing it," Tash said.
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