Kearney's Flock cameras vandalized twice in 2 weeks amid privacy debate

KEARNEY, Mo. — KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.

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One Flock camera was stolen Monday night at Jesse James Park in Kearney and another was chopped in half a week earlier at 19th and Nation Road.

In the most recent incident, a camera was removed from its pole, leaving behind only dangling wires.

Colleen Doctorian, public information officer for the city of Kearney, said the first incident happened days earlier.

"Last Thursday morning, one of our officers noticed the Flock camera at 19th and Nation Road was cut down and lay on the ground," Doctorian said.

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The city says the cameras have helped officers solve property crimes and locate missing people more quickly.

"We had a report of a missing elderly person, and so we were able to track their license plate into the system, and they were able to find them at a gas station," Doctorian said.

Not everyone in Kearney supports the technology. Resident Carl Baum said he believes the cameras invade his privacy.

"It's acquiring information that shouldn't be acquired," Baum said.

Baum acknowledged the cameras' intended purpose but said law-abiding residents should not face the same scrutiny as criminals.

"I understand why they do it, that they are trying to catch criminals, but the problem is they are taking the liberties of people who are law-abiding citizens and putting them under the same scrutiny," Baum said.

The privacy debate is playing out in communities across the country. Last week, Flock announced several changes to how its system works, including requiring a criminal case number for every database search and deleting data after seven days.

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Doctorian said the Kearney Police Department already operates under strict access policies.

"Our police department has very strict policies on how they access the system," Doctorian said. "They have to have a reason that they're accessing it, and that all that is documented within the Flock system."

Baum said the broader issue remains unresolved.

"How do they justify tracking every single citizen…that's the problem," Baum said.

The city of Kearney says it has no plans to cancel its contract with Flock.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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