Start Here: Woodstock Square Mass Surveillance?

Woodstock is considering bring additional and concerning AI surveillance cameras, this time onto the Square. Specifically Flock Cameras, a fairly new company with a documented history of privacy issues and data-handling concerns.

This is an unscheduled budget request for $21,800/yr for 3yrs. Is that responsible?

This space is for the people who want to stay informed, looking for resources, and how to express your concern, and propose alternatives to city council. We’re a community that pays attention and cares about our town and fellow neighbor’s safety.

We care about Woodstock, safety, and how technology shapes our public spaces.

To be clear:
We’re not against cameras.
We’re concerned about this vendor: Flock.

How to get Involved

• Subscribe to our emails (we’ll be sharing more soon)

• Send questions and concerns to City Council Members

  • To explore safer, privacy-respecting alternatives

  • To Look for more cost effective solutions

  • Thanking the ones who voted against Flock

  • Expressing concern about the members who blindly trust marketing material from Flock

• Spread the word to others!

• Showing up for City Council Meeting - Dec 16th Tues @ 7pm

What is Flock?

There are many great resources. Here is a video that is a great overview?

Here are more videos if you want to dive deep:

• ▶️ Breaking The Creepy AI in Police Cameras

• ▶️ We Hacked Flock Safety Cameras in under 30 Seconds.

• ▶️ Flock: “you can’t get a breath of air without us knowing”

• ▶️ 2 Days until Nationwide Facial Recognition! Surveillance with Ring & Flock

More articles & Resources:

• jsis.washington.edu/humanrights/2025/10/21/leaving-the-door-wide-open

• Washington University Research Paper: Leaving the Door Wide Open: Flock Surveillance Systems Expose Washington Data to Immigration Enforcement

• DeFlock.me

• derekeder.com/blog/why-i-voted-to-cancel

• Flock Can Share Driver-Surveillance Data Even When Police Departments Opt Out

A few examples of Cities with Flock Related Lawsuits & Legal Issues

• Norfolk, VA Camera Surveillance - Institute for Justice

• Evanston, IL Cease & Cease-and-Desist Flock re-installing cameras w/o Permission

• Stanwood, WA - Public Records Lawsuit

• Braselton, Georgia - Police Chief mis-use stalk and harass private citizens

• Oakland County, MI

• Knoxville, TN

• Search “Flock lawsuits” for more..

Questions

• Doesn’t Woodstock already have Flock cameras around the perimeter of every street enter / exiting Woodstock?

  • Surprise! Yep… and we should probably talk about those next.. let’s start by not adding more Flock that will monitor our daily movements within our city.

• Are there alternatives?

  • Absolutely! CCTV or NVR/DVR with a one time cost of only $12,000

  • Data secure & within our cities ownership, protecting control of it’s citizens privacy.

• I heard there’s a grant?

  • It’s true! $9,000 for one year FY26 Organized Retail Crime Grant Program

  • But that’s only 1yr, where do we plan to fund an additional $21,800/yr? City should be smart with money.

  • The grant is also good for other great things like training.