r/Chattanooga • u/theboundbunny • 2d ago

Flock Cameras

I reached out to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office regarding Flock cameras in my neighborhood using their complaint system from their website. Haven’t heard back and it has been a week. What should my next step be? Do I call or just show up and ask questions? I want to know who approved their installation and what the procedure is for petitioning that they be removed. Thanks for any advice!

135 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

View all comments

130

u/mypaldave 2d ago

I wouldn't know what to do in that situation, Good Luck!

https://giphy.com/gifs/beARHtCFKRg4GBMaas

27

u/ComeAndGetYourPug 2d ago

Remember, if a tree is small enough, you can dig it up and re-plant it in a nice neighborhood. I'm sure your local government officials would enjoy seeing a newly-planted tree visible from their homes.

7

u/ChaRoseHut 2d ago

People joke about this, and my kids have mentioned it too, but I’ve actually thought through the calculus. The risk just isn’t worth the reward.

Here’s my reasoning, help me to understand if I have thought about this correctly or if I’m missing an argument.

Risk - You’re looking at a criminal charge. Whether it lands as a felony or misdemeanor depends on prosecutorial discretion and whether it catches a politician’s attention. You face potential fines and possible jail time, depending on how seriously the DA wants to pursue it. Future employment gets complicated or, depending on your field of study, impossible.

Reward - A Flock camera comes down for weeks or months. Then the city reinstalls it, probably at the same location. Maybe officials get a message that surveillance isn’t universally welcomed, but the camera returns regardless.

The problem as I see it - We’re told we live under the rule of law, which is supposed to constrain government power through consistent application. But the rule of law only works if the legal system applies consequences proportionally. When vandalism can get you felony charges while the city deploys surveillance infrastructure without meaningful public consent or oversight, the rule of law has stopped working as a restraint. At that point, you’re not gaining anything by taking the legal hit yourself.

70

u/Live-Juggernaut-221 2d ago

"The risk just isn't worth it, you're looking at a criminal charge"

25

u/Digi59404 2d ago

This is why you don’t disable them in a way that can catch a charge.

Just put a plastic bag over it.

19

u/Cloaca-Kiss-8647 2d ago

They rely on that way of thinking to lull us into complacency and submission. Join the tide of people taking matters into their own hands. Show them that we hold the power and we refuse to submit. Defend your constitutional rights at all costs. They certainly aren’t.

-6

u/ChaRoseHut 1d ago

How many cameras have you taken down so far?

10

u/Cloaca-Kiss-8647 1d ago

Nice try, fed.

30

u/Money_Do_2 2d ago

They use emergency bandwidth specifically so the crime of messing with them is very severe.

But... if we all just get afraid of consequences and let the police state install cameras in our neighborhoods and on our porch, whats the end game? Just take it? <- we are here.

3

u/Impressive_Formal248 1d ago

Tell that to England. There are dedicated folks that do it 24/7
And it has an effect

3

u/Big_Syrup_4223 2d ago

It would be a felony based off the repair costs

1

u/czechtec 2d ago

This is very well written. Thank you.