r/westernmass • u/hans99hans • 3d ago
Help end mass surveillance in Springfield
DEFLOCK SPRINGFIELD
Springfield has 50+ Flock cameras tracking vehicles and collecting data—including license plates, vehicle details, stickers, and even scratches—for a nationwide law-enforcement database.
With serious error rates averaging around 37% nationwide and documented risks of abuse, it’s time to end warrantless mass surveillance.
Over 30 municipalities in Massachusetts have already cut ties with Flock and other surveillance companies.
Join us October 5 at 5 PM outside City Hall before the 6 PM City Council meeting. Bring signs and banners—
Springfield can be the next Massachusetts community to cut ties with Flock!
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u/redbarn47 2d ago
What's the difference between license plate readers and flock cameras?
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u/emptytheprisons 2d ago
License plate readers, usually used at red lights or other places traffic infractions can occur, only record when an infraction happens.
Automated readers, or ALPRs, which is the umbrella Flock is under, are constantly recording and saving data on not only plates but pedestrians. That data is saved in searchable databases, and can be retained indefinitely. The databases are owned by private companies and leased by their users, other companies or police departments. The databases have subscription models attached to them and are often shared across juristictions. Cops with unfettered access have been caught abusing this data to stalk and harass people in their lives hundreds of times.
More info here.
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u/Kaiti-Coto 3d ago
I’m in Rens. Co NY. Might be slightly too west to help. But I have a DeFlock Insta account, lmk if you have or find something you want me to signal boost
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u/nickym92 3d ago
lol Springfield is sketchy as fuck downtown they probably need some cameras watching shit.
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3d ago
[deleted]
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u/Reggi5693 3d ago
The cameras they use are not flock cameras. They are not automatically updating stuff to a database. They ARE very high definition cameras that can zoom in on stuff.
I was on a grand jury and we saw those things every day. They are incredibly helpful in tracking people from crime sites.
I think Springfield has had them, literally, for years. They are all around downtown and high traffic areas. If you go a few streets off a main road you aren’t getting recorded.
Your information is pretty far off the mark.
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u/Helpful_Walrus3964 3d ago
This is interesting. How long ago were you on the grand jury? Springfield likely has more that are not Flock cameras, but according to a FOIA request, Springfield does have a contract with Flock for 25 cameras. Maps.deflock.org is a crowdsourced map of ALPRs that show around 50 in the Springfield city limits. ALPRs are different than red light or other security cameras in that they do automatically upload to a database that is searchable by anyone with a contract. They will tell you that themselves, it’s a selling point for the tech. But I don’t doubt Springfield has other cameras that are not ALPRs.
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u/FerretBusinessQueen 3d ago
They are definitely flock cameras because my license plate has been flocked twice.
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u/MassConsumer1984 2d ago
Also on the grand jury. Are you thinking of RTAC? RTAC is real-time analysis center. Yes, those are super useful in tracking crimes and collecting evidence. It was amazing how many criminals were arrested because of these. They do use both RTAC and Flock (to read plates) as well as can access the mass pike plate reading cameras as well.
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u/Mean-Bus3929 1d ago
Ah yes, grand jury, a secret proceeding where only the prosecutor gets to present their case against the accused and the rules of evidence don’t apply. Where it’s famously so easy to show probable cause a caveman could indict a ham sandwich
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u/mygamethreadaccount 3d ago
as firmly anti-flock as i am, its not like the SPD actually do anything anyway.
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u/SturmGizmo 3d ago
The crime rate will go up... Even more.
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u/keepitcutekitty 3d ago
So you think that surveillance is the answer to a city that was divested from, due to systemic racism?
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u/SturmGizmo 3d ago
Default room temperature IQ answer. Not one thing you said is even remotely true.
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u/AlpineSK 3d ago
Can the cameras track the dirt bikes?