Posted on 07/30/2026 7:14:15 AM PDT by V_TWIN
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Vandalism targeting automated license plate readers has ignited a local debate over public safety and digital surveillance in the Beaches communities, echoing growing privacy concerns felt across the nation.
The investigation began on June 29 when an Atlantic Beach police officer noticed several Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras, commonly known as “Flock” cameras, had not been working.
A physical inspection revealed that multiple camera lenses across the area had been intentionally disabled with spray paint. Similar incidents of vandalism happened in Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach.
Police have since arrested 19-year-old River Blair of Jacksonville Beach in connection with the damage. According to investigators, detectives reviewing nearby surveillance footage observed a red Mazda hatchback pulling into a parking lot shortly after midnight. The video reportedly showed a male suspect carrying a ladder toward one of the camera poles before driving away a short time later.
In a twist of digital irony, investigators used data from surrounding, operational Flock cameras to track the movements of the suspect’s vehicle just before those units were also spray-painted.
(Excerpt) Read more at actionnewsjax.com ...
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
Love that movie!. They don’t make movies like that any more.................
He’d have been better off on a bicycle.
It’s the beach, there’s a zillion of ‘em down there.
JP, Electric Eye :)
Where does a muse end and a prophet begin? :).
One of my favorite theme songs. Wes Montgomery did a great version of it.
Down Here On The Ground
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3P0BKiZvAU
If it’s okay to spray paint ‘FREE PALESTINE” on every public building and statue, then spray painting a camera lens should be as well...............
DETAIL ‘PUBLIC’.
IF I AM ON MY PRIVATE PROPERTY-—
MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS &
DOING NOTHING ILLEGAL-—
I SHOULD EXPECT PRIVACY-—
NOT FLOCK CAMERAS
“Dig me a hole”
Throws piece paper in hole
“Now fill it in”......damn that was hardcore.
Yeah but can this guy eat 50 eggs?
Then the answer is to spray paint “Free Palestine” or “BLM” on those camera lenses.
Watch the wokes spin like a gyro.
Almost as bad as the Telescreens in our homes ..
“I’m shakin’ it here, Boss!”
In general, anything that is readily visible from a public place is free for the eyes to see and the camera to record. This concept is ancient, and probably necessary. Incessant, interminable, omnipresent surveillance (”Flock” cameras, etc.) is something new. It would seem to be the equivalent of a cop standing on the public sidewalk in front of your house, 24/7/365, with a video camera, recording your activities. That’s not “seeing what can be seen from a public place”, it’s harassment.
The difference is the persistence.
A camera violates basic human dignity? Wtf are you smoking? You’re just saying words. Get a grip.
I’d like more not fewer cameras to aid law enforcement. But then I’m not breaking any laws and understand that I’ve never had any right of privacy when in public.
Are there any limits to when individuals can decide it’s important and necessary to destroy public property?
You sound like a lib, getting to decide form yourself when the law does not need to be obeyed
You think someone filming you in your fenced in private back yard cannot violate your dignity?
maybe a married couple are swimming nude in such a yard and now an elevated camera captures that, no issue there I guess for you.
Yes, filming someone in a personal private space can indeed be a violation of human dignity.
You make no argument and only use an intimated assertion through sarcasm as your point. Basically, you have nothing to say, noted.
One of the earliest movies I ever saw in theatre during its first run. At the time a lot of it went over my head which on later viewings I began to understand and appreciate. The absolute earliest movie was IIRC The 7th voyage of Sinbad but not even first run for that.
Cars and ladders ? Too large of a footprint .
Bicycle and an aerosol can trigger attached to a collapsible extension pole. Available from numerous retailers.
Much smaller footprint.
Ya when they can guarantee those cameras are only used in a public setting and the community has accepted that usage. That is not currently the case with those cameras.
I don’t like them, but I understand the constitutionality in public. The problem, specifically for me, is many are consistently viewing into private spaces as well.
It may be a rarity that an issue arises, but for me even at that it should never be accepted, a small right overlooked leads to large abuses.
I am from a lib as you will find BTW, a conservative should be very protective of privacy, that is not a liberal issue.
Not in our state thankfully.
About a year ago a few of those free palestine idiots tried to disrupt a city council meeting and in about 45 seconds they found themselves outside face down handcuffed on the sidewalk.
Next day the sheriff held a special press conference to address it. His message was “this isn’t portland, we don’t tolerate that jackassery here”.
It was a beautiful thing......and there hasn’t been a peep heard from those morons since.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.