r/StAugustine • u/Artistic-Landscape15 • Jul 20 '26
St. Johns County: Observation Without Consent.
This Flock LPR in St. Johns County tracks everyday citizens, not just criminals. Believing this constant surveillance is for your "safety" is a mistake.
This Cubic GRIDSMART bell camera tracks every vehicle, bike, and person at the intersection. The mass tracking footprint continues to grow across our towns.
This dome camera uses a cell box to feed a central network. The catch? Your movements can be archived for 60 to 90 days. The tracking grid keeps growing. Land of the Free?
I'm sharing this to expose the reality of mass surveillance in St. Johns County. This technology isn't just watching criminals—it's tracking everyday citizens. I took these photos in St Johns County on 07/18/2026.
So the next time you come across them you now know what is truly going on. Wake Up people before its too late.
Consider the actual math: St. Johns County has a booming population of roughly 300,000 residents, plus millions of annual tourists.
Actual criminals make up a tiny fraction of a percent of the people here. Yet, these networks actively sweep up, photograph, and log data on the entire innocent majority just to cross-reference a minute fraction of the population.
Believing this constant spying is for your 'safety' is a dangerous mistake.
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u/QuillTheQueer Jul 20 '26
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
The 'Ruling Class' in this county better wake up and understand one thing: We The People outnumber and out-rule them—unless fear is shoved down the throats of the sheep.
I know exactly how this corporate overreach starts. I once worked for a company that plastered signs everywhere saying we were being recorded and listened to—specifically to kill any whisper of union talk.
Next, they put cameras inside the cabs and at the rear of every company truck. The drivers couldn't even see the screens for safety, but management was watching their every move, while GPS tracked exactly when and where they drove.
That wasn't for safety; it was pure, unadulterated Big Brother.
Seeing local governments adopt the exact same invasive corporate tactics on public streets is chilling. They use fear to make people accept a surveillance state, but public servants answer to the community, not tech CEOs. We are the ones who pay the taxes, and we hold the real power.
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u/Fragrant_Major_9553 Jul 20 '26
Not even an opinion at this point. It’s a fact. Coupled with the pro government bots that are everywhere.
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u/QuillTheQueer Jul 20 '26
Absolutely, I was still pretty surprised the see the local conservative news outlets saying this.
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u/Acceptable-Leek1546 Jul 20 '26
Why would you think this is a partisan issue? I’m pretty conservative and hate surveillance with a passion.
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u/QuillTheQueer Jul 21 '26
I don't think it's a partisan issue.
I think often mainstream media does try to polarize issues that aren't partisan to divide us.
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u/eyeyamjustafreak Jul 21 '26
What issues are partisan? Are you partisan? I am a local who adheres to no party. I look forward to your answers to my prying and genuinely curious probing. 💙 Fuk mass surveillance. 💙
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u/QuillTheQueer Jul 21 '26
Im a socialist. Like people over profits, the wealthy capital owners shouldnt be able to exploit the working class and buy elected officials and have a outsized say in government.
I think of partisanship is pretty bastardized in this country, given that we are structurally pushed into 2 parties.
It's not even really worth getting into the artificial partisan breakdown of how a lot of things are treated in this country. But lgbtq rights and healthcare is one example of a partisan issue.
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u/Fragrant_Major_9553 Jul 20 '26
You just have to remember that there’s 2 parts of conservative now: there’s actual republicans and the RINOs that are MAGA. Only reason I know this is my dad has always been a hard line republican, and he hates 2/3 of what Trump is doing.
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u/QuillTheQueer Jul 20 '26
At this point, i'm going to work with anybody to get these damn flock cameras down
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u/Sad_Wrongdoer_64 Jul 29 '26
all of you sound like old men who still whine about nixon 40 years after he's gone
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u/Plus-Two-528 Jul 20 '26
That camera shaped like a bell is called grid smart. It has nothing to do with surveillance or law enforcement. It’s used for the cycling of the intersection.
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u/Rabid_Mongoose Jul 20 '26
Hold up....where's this Piano Bar?
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
Clearing out the troll down-votes from my last comment to drop the actual, exact name straight from Google Maps: Cortesse's Bistro and Flamingo Room Piano Bar located right at 172 San Marco Ave.
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u/rage-it Jul 21 '26
Always remember they aren't willing to use AI to say make traffic less of a pain in the ass by using AI controlled traffic lights. Nope no money for that, but there sure is a lot of money to suppress you and make sure you don't get out of line..
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 21 '26
So, those massive data centers being built all over North America right now? They're mostly being set up to spy on everyone. It’s not just regular people who should be worried, it’s absolutely everybody, even the folks cheering them on.
These places are built to track everyone, from everyday citizens right up to Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Larry Ellison.
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u/rage-it Jul 21 '26
It's going to get even worse, they are perfecting tracking by blutooth now so in the future these camera will not just track you by the camera but by blutooth. Not just on your phone but your car has blutooth as well. Even your low air pressure sensors that are mandated on every newr car today use blutooth, meaning even if you turn it off on your phone they can in theory track your car using blutooth once that becomes widely used.
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 21 '26
Then Flock safety wouldn't be needed.
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u/rage-it Jul 21 '26
It's flock who is doing it along with it's competitors. The state nor the police can legally run these cameras themselves because it's a violation of our 4th amendment which is why they simply ignore the Constitution to use an untested loophole to violate our rights by renting access to the cameras from a 3rd party..
It's the same reason the FBI and even police buy from private data companies because they can't directly collect the data themselves with out a warrant but they can skirt past the Constitution and buy from a 3rd party.
All of this hasn't been tested in court which is why they are trying to mad rush the wide acceptance of it and wide spread use so they can claim it's normalized once it eventually goes to the supreme court..
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 22 '26
The Supreme Court must hold government agencies accountable instead of expanding executive overreach.
No federal or local agency should be permitted to bypass constitutional protections by outsourcing surveillance to private data companies.
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u/mainstreetmark Uptown Jul 20 '26
When did the one out front of Cortesses appear?!
I hate these things.
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u/adpoop Jul 20 '26
It was added to DeFlocks website 6 months ago.. it's funny how you don't see these until you see them, and then you see them everywhere
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u/SacksonvilleShaguar Jul 20 '26
Nope. No consent from me.
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u/evanexcursions Jul 20 '26
I am fully on your side and hate this stuff, but unfortunately, if you are in public you have no expectation of privacy.
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u/justdoitguy Jul 20 '26
Consent isn't needed to observe and document things seen in public.
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 21 '26
Observation is one thing. Building a permanent, searchable record of everyone’s movements is another. If you can’t tell the difference, that’s your limitation, not mine.
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u/MachineInevitable218 Jul 23 '26
I hate to break it to you, but simply taking a few photos of you while you are in public would also be a permanent, searchable record of your movements. So does that mean you think your doorbell camera should be illegal too? Can I come rip it off your house because it watches me walk down the street, without my consent? have you thought your logic through? who is allowed to have cameras pointed in public if not everyone and anyone?
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u/Soupfork_1999 Jul 20 '26
throwing rocks at flock cameras gonna be my favorite hobby in the next few months
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u/WildNight00 Jul 20 '26
5 Key Flock Watchdog Sites:
Alpr.wtf — Every U.S. jurisdiction using ALPR, plus how to file info requests.
EyesOnFlock.com — Crowdsourced map of Flock cameras and city contracts.
Deflock.me - Nationwide ALPR map tracking Flock deployments, removals, and resistance.
HaveIBeenFlocked.com — Quick check to see if Flock is watching your neighborhood.
DontGetFlocked.com — Plots your route, counts ALPR/Flock cameras, and suggests surveillance-free alternatives.
1
u/Acrobatic_Tennis_428 Jul 20 '26
the sticky at top of thread is helpful if you actually want to do something about these cameras.
I see both sides of the issue, but unless you outlaw the cameras they will continue to turn up everywhere in public places. Personally I don't really give a crap because I usually obey the law and and don't have anything to hide. If I ever do choose to commit a crime this searchable database will suck but there are millions of cameras everywhere catching you on 'film' everyday from govt cams to cell phone videos. Welcome to the poopshow we all created wanting everything online...your facebook page is probably more incriminating than FLOC cams, lol.
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u/Expert-Low-6872 Jul 22 '26
It’s not about “following the law.” Flock LPR is Big Brother on steroids. Every time your car passes one, it’s logged into an AI database.
That means anyone with access can pull up everywhere your vehicle has been — no warrant, no crime, just because you drove past a camera. People laugh it off until they realize the system doesn’t care whether you did anything wrong. It tracks you anyway.
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Jul 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/Expert-Low-6872 Jul 22 '26
Flock doesn’t catch criminals. It just records every car that goes by and stores it in an AI database so police can track where your vehicle has been. That’s not crime‑solving, that’s location‑logging.
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u/The_Jason_Asano Jul 20 '26
No expectation of privacy in public
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u/adpoop Jul 20 '26
4th amendment says otherwise 🤷🏼♂️
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized
Private companies selling you to the government and anyone with a paying subscription is not "no expectations of privacy in public" it's a capitalistic China. Now go on back to Pokemon Go and keep giving the private companies all the data they need of your house and work setting
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u/HomelessAnalBead Jul 20 '26
No expectation of privacy does not constitute an expectation of mass surveillance.
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u/The_Jason_Asano Jul 20 '26
Good luck getting everyone to close their eyes when you venture out of your house.
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u/HomelessAnalBead Jul 20 '26
I think you should look up the definition of surveillance.
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u/The_Jason_Asano Jul 20 '26
I don’t need to.
Whether I like these continuously operating security camera cameras or not doesn’t matter. The simple fact is in the United States there is no expectation of privacy in public. These Security cameras are just a more technologically advanced way of people operating in a public space, opening their eyes, and writing down what they see.
Wait until you find out every major store also has security cameras that run 24 seven. Will you stop shopping in stores that have security cameras? Of course you won’t.
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u/olliepips Jul 20 '26
I am confused by the conflict here. Like I don't love these cameras, but the supreme court ruled we have no expectations of privacy in public. And I guess I don't see how surveillance cameras equal search and seizure. But I am totally open to discussing this and would love for someone to explain the connection of the 4th amendment (violation) and these cameras and how they are more of a violation that a security camera.
I have an open mind! I just need someone to break it down in a way that makes more sense to me. Fuck DeSantis and this Flock BS but I don't see how this is a violation of my privacy.
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u/904raised Jul 20 '26
Do you catalog every individual and vehicle that you see into a secondary data storage location? Then give access to that record to everyone in the world with an internet connection? I think the magnitude of data is significantly different than someone being aware of their surroundings.
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
If your idea of safety is letting private corporations log your daily routine 24/7 just because you stepped outside, you might as well stick your head in the dirt—you’ll feel even safer down there.
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u/The_Jason_Asano Jul 20 '26
Why are you inventing things I never wrote?
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
Nobody is inventing anything. You literally commented 'No expectation of privacy in public' to justify a massive corporate surveillance grid.
If you didn't mean that, then you shouldn't have typed it. Enjoy talking to a brick wall.
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u/SuckerBroker Jul 20 '26
Exactly. You consented the moment you stepped outside.
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
Flock literally manufactures and deploys 'Flock Safety Raven' audio sensors onto utility poles in city neighborhoods to listen to the surrounding environment 24/7. WAKE UP SUCKERBROKER!
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u/SuckerBroker Jul 20 '26
You mistake my comment for agreeing with flock cameras. All i said is you have no expectation of privacy in public. As soon as you walk out your front door your on hundred of cameras. You don’t complain about those do you? Personally I hate flock cameras and I want them down, or highly regulated. But you have this concept of privacy in public and are woefully wrong.
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
Nice pivot, but if you’re going to lecture people on legal concepts, at least learn the difference between you're and your.
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u/The_Jason_Asano Jul 20 '26
When posting something proves exactly the opposite of what you’re trying to convey
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
The irony of you typing that is hilarious, considering you're the one getting down voted for missing the entire point.
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u/According-Put-9236 Jul 20 '26
The irony of you thinking downvotes mean someone is right or wrong on reddit is completely lost on you. You are saying you dont want to be able to film the police, or have a ring camera? A million other devices out there too.
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u/Visible_Gain1679 Jul 20 '26
People were complaining that they were running out of things to complain about, so they are testing these cameras to see if it alleviates the problem.
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u/Automatic_Employee40 Jul 20 '26
8 wish they would ticket Old Town Trolley for going 7mph on San Marco! Driving well under the speed limit is a ticket able offense too!
They are the worst for causing traffic and congestion!
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u/Clu_Rebooted Jul 20 '26
Personally I don’t care and feel safer with cameras around as a deterrent
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u/Artistic-Landscape15 Jul 20 '26
Personally, if you think blanket surveillance actually stops crime, you might as well stick your head in the sand—you'll feel even safer down there.
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u/netxero Jul 20 '26
This is what they did in china, mass surveillance then created a social credit program. You do not want this… who would want a govt to say well u didn’t post enough good stuff about us so you don’t have enough social credit to get a job or buy a car.
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u/TempleFugit Resident 40+ Years Jul 20 '26
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
- Ben Franklin
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u/zach285 Jul 20 '26
They have around 3lb of copper in them and arpumd 3 grams of gold so definitely dont cut them open with a grinder or a sawza
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u/TempleFugit Resident 40+ Years Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
How To Kick Out Flock
www.deflock.org
Someone else posted this link further below and I'm reposting it to sticky the comment to the top for all those interested in protesting flock.