Florida police used a fake Flock camera in a sting, then charged a man with three felonies for destroying it Reports of people destroying or vandalizing Flock cameras have become frequent enough that authorities are attempting sting operations to catch perpetrators. However, one Florida case might test the limits of the strategy, as the subject did not technically destroy a camera.
News 6 Orlando reports that police in Oviedo, Florida, have charged a man with three felonies for destroying a Flock surveillance camera, even though the camera was fake. Even the mayor, who was unaware of the decoy operation before the arrest, admitted the charges are controversial.
Evan Meyer, 24, faces counts of criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage, grand theft involving property valued between $750 and $5,000, and damaging or taking a computer, electronic device, or related equipment. However, although Meyer believed he was destroying a real Flock camera, which he estimated might cost up to $5,000 to install, what he actually destroyed was a 3D-printed decoy that was likely far cheaper. Police also said a Flock camera actually costs only around $800, not including installation fees.
I don't like Flock cameras either, and probably wouldn't react much to seeing someone else tearing one down, but this is ridiculous, and isn't going to encourage people to leave the bloody things alone. If anything, such entrapment/set ups are just adding fuel to the fire and look like a major waste of police time and resources.
