There has been another scandal involving Flock traffic cameras. This one has the police claiming they have evidence of a Rivian owner using her car to steal a package. However, she is countering those claims with dashcam footage taken from the vehicle allegedly used to commit the crime.
Late in September, Chrisanna Elser had Sergeant Jaime Milliman with the Columbine Valley Police Department come to her home to ask her a few questions. While the interaction began in a friendly manner, Milliman quickly pivots to accusing the woman of having stolen a package from a porch in Bow Mar, Colorado.
During the exchange, which was captured by the security camera affixed to her Denver home, the sergeant references the Flock camera network by saying “you know we have cameras in that town and you can’t get a breath of fresh air in or out of that place without us knowing, right?”
Elser is clearly confused by the statement and her befuddlement only grows when Milliman claims they have footage of her committing the crime. He even goes as far to say that the suspect in the video is unquestionably her. Eventually joined by her husband, the woman explains that it was not her and that she would be willing to provide counter evidence by sharing footage from her Rivian.
However, Sergeant Milliman does not seem interested and would likewise not share the evidence he claimed to have of her stealing the package. The exchange ends when Elser stops being polite and suggests that she contact a lawyer, after which Milliman hands her a court summons.
Fast forwarding to this week, Chrisanna Elser was indeed vindicated by her Rivian’s onboard cameras. While the cameras had correctly identified that her Rivian truck had been driving through the area where the crime had been committed on numerous occasions, it never stopped at the location where the package was stolen.
The encounter and aftermath has been shared widely via countless local outlets. However, The Civil Rights Lawyer has shared the exchange in full for those interested. That said, you don’t really need to see much more than a photo of the suspect to recognize that it’s probably not Elser — as their facial features clearly don’t match.
Following quite a bit of attention online, Columbine Valley Police Chief Bret Cottrell confirmed that the summons had been cancelled. But Elser stated that the department originally refused to work with her or even accept the evidence she provided. This is despite her calling, sending emails, and even showing up to the station in person on numerous occasions.
Police utilization of Flock traffic cameras has exploded over the last twelve months and have resulted in public questions about whether or not the AI-powered camera network constitutes a Fourth Amendment due to the way in which they can track drivers using nothing more than software and a few search prompts. The cameras have also taken criticism after members of law enforcement were caught using them to effectively stalk people. Flock devices have likewise been used to track people in states where they had committed no crime, muddying jurisdictional prudence.
Flock has recently announced that it would be partnering with Ring to expand its surveillance network by leaning on doorbell cameras to cover blind spots.
Needless to say, the cameras have been a hit with various city councils and members of law enforcement. But the public seems to despise them as they’re helping to build unprecedented levels of surveillance.
In the case of Chrisanna Elser, her vehicle looks to have been flagged by the Flock camera system simply because her Rivian had traveled near the area the package was stolen several times in a single month. However, much of that time it was actually her husband who was driving. That’s hardly sufficient evidence to launch an investigation and it’s genuinely pathetic that the department didn’t recognize she had only a passing resemblance to the suspect.
It’s also rather tragic that a national traffic surveillance network even exists and was being used to come after an innocent woman over a stolen package that cost an estimated 25 dollars. The bar couldn’t be set much lower and police still managed to fumble things. Similarly sad is that the accused had to leverage the on-board surveillance system in her $71,000 automobile to prove her innocence in a country where one is supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
As you might imagine, Flock’s camera network and AI searching tools are seeing strong opposition from citizens and civil rights groups. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and American Civil Liberties Union have formally expressed concerns. Prominent members of the Right-to-Repair movement have likewise come out against the company.
While several cities have elected to abandon Flock due to public pressure to maintain the privacy of citizens, town leadership doesn’t always listen. Flock’s national network continues to grow and will presumably more than triple once it begins tapping into Ring doorbell and home security cameras. Exactly how they’ll be implemented is unknown but it sounds like the police (or any group willing to pay for access) will be able to view the recordings at their leisure.
In the meantime, Deflock.me is attempting to create a visual map of every Flock camera in the country to help residents identify them. However, it’s hardly complete and likely won’t be able to keep up with camera additions at the pace they’re presently being implemented.
[Image: Aaron of L.A. Photography/Shutterstock; Rivian]
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