This is an better idea. I was going to shoot them with a paintball gun.
this post was submitted on 28 May 2026
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iirc, paintball marker is slightly translucent, right? So maybe like...a sticker?
Some of the cameras by me are a little high up, which is why initially I thought paintball.
I bet I could fly a drone with a trash bag over it though.
One of those spray-can extension poles would probably work pretty well.
My neighbor used to put marbles in his paintball gun
Must have been a scary ghost that disabled those spy cameras.
Why aren't they just... Removing them?
Oh. Its probably because removing them is unnecessarily complicated so they need the company to come do it for them.
You don't have to worry about a complicated removal if you have an angle grinder.
You'd be surprised how few worries I have when I'm brandishing an angle grinder
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If you had read the article you'd know that the cities aren't sure if they can remove them under the terms of their contracts with flock. So they're covering them while working that out.
I'm pretty sure one city did remove them and then Flock just came and put new ones up which is what lead to the trash bags.
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I 100% guarantee that "deactivated" cameras are still operational. It's just not the City getting the data.
They don't just collect video either. Audio, network traffic, Bluetooth devices, tons of electronic intelligence can still be gotten with covered cameras
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Heard lots of precious metals in them, wink wink, nudge, nudge, and all that then LoL
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Do also the other thing, where you brake it apart. Same thing, but it's permanently.
Or accelerate it apart
I read the beginning of the title as "Cities are Cowering" and now I think it could easily be a part of an alternate title.
Like your the damn government... Just remove the devices, tell Flock where they can pick them up in the next two weeks otherwise they will be sold as is on open market and pay the termination fee or potential lawsuit. Cities get sued like all the time and I am confident even a moderately competent lawyer could find a cheap way out.
Article reminded me that some people say "by accident" (me) and some say "on accident" (my cousins).
Thats a journalist though. They should know better.
Fun fact the panel, inverter, and battery set up in these do not have any tracking features, that's all in the internals for the camera controller. It's enough to charge any smart phone or tablet if someone you know is living outside and should have a need of that. You do not need anything more than a Philips head screwdriver for most versions, and a security bit for others, both of which you can have for pennies at any hardware store.
Some flock stuff has microphones so avoid talking during the maintenance session 😜
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I'm surprised Dayton is doing even that. It's a low bar, sure, but it's also Dayton.
Trash bags just do that sometimes...
Getting the plastic bag scene from American Beauty vibes.
Just read the headline. Good
Makes them more easily identifiable so they can be properly disposed of.
I guess technically they already are in a trashbag.
I'd like to think that the bag is step 1. Step 2 is to balance an old car tire on top, and set it on fire.
I love the theatrics of it, but surely something less polluting can achieve the same results
Guillotines?
- City installs trash bags because they're contractually obligated to keep the devices installed and powered on
- Someone hosts an impromptu Office Space fan meetup, with a fun reenactment of the printer scene
- City sees this, responds with an obvious but legally non-actionable tweet response suggesting it continue (e.g. "Fartsburg loves Mike Judge films, too! So nice to see our citizens enjoying the various forms of recreation and socialization ths city has to offer."), along with some conspicuously-placed garbage cans near all of the cameras' installed locations.
- ???
- (No) Profit. (for Flock)
the city was sharing Flock camera data for immigration enforcement
Ah, these are in American cities.
apparently on accident,
Oh yes, definitely American.
(Yes I know I skipped over the part about Ohio)
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This is why you don't sign contracts without an obvious out.
One step away from being relocated to their actual destination: the bin.
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