Six Flock cameras vandalized in Cape Coral in less than a month; police still investigating

Six Flock cameras have been vandalized in Cape Coral in less than a month, according to multiple police reports Gulf Coast News obtained, raising concerns about privacy, security, and the absence of arrests despite ongoing investigations. DeFlock, an app tracking the cameras, indicates four devices should be installed at Veterans Parkway and Santa Barbara Boulevard, but only three are visible, according to Gulf Coast News crews. Flock cameras, which are license plate readers, have sparked controversy nationwide, with some residents expressing privacy concerns. "I don't like them tracking my business down or even tracking anybody down. You could search somebody's car up and stalk them all day if you wanted to," Jacob Shields, a Cape Coral resident, said. Another resident, James Kirby, described how the cameras could be disabled. "It's common sense: the camera only points in one direction. You find the latitude, which way it's pointing, you walk up, drive behind it, do whatever you got to do, come up behind the camera. You cut it down; it falls on its face," Kirby said. The first reported incident of vandalism occurred on July 30 at Diplomat Parkway East and Santa Barbara Boulevard, where four cameras were destroyed. On August 10th, another attack was reported at SE 24th Avenue and Viscaya Parkway, where a solar panel was shattered. A viewer later commented on our YouTube account about another camera found on the ground near Veterans Parkway, which police confirmed was connected to the SE 24th Avenue incident. "They're too easy to get to. Why aren't we tracking them down? Like, if there are three at this intersection, one can look at the other one. Why can't we just use another Flock camera to track the person down who cut it up, you know, or took it down?" Shields said. FSW Chief of Police Jerry Connolly said the investigation could be challenging due to the possibility of multiple suspects. "If, you know, law enforcement reveals a timeline of when this camera is cut down, private citizens may turn over video from their private vehicles. Potentially, the more cameras that are cut down, the higher probability there is of capturing one or 2 or 3 suspects," Connolly said. The Lee County Sheriff's Office reported no similar incidents in other areas of the county, making Cape Coral the only known location where Flock cameras are being vandalized in Lee County. Cape Coral police declined further interviews on the matter, stating: "We won’t be doing any further interviews related to the ALPR incidents. They are currently being investigated by our property crimes unit." Flock Safety, the company behind the cameras, has not yet responded to inquiries about whether its cloud system contains images of the vandals. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.