Flock cameras across Minnesota are being vandalized in response to data privacy concerns

Looking closely, you can see a glue-like substance coating part of the lens of a Flock camera along France Avenue in Edina.

There’s also another section of the device, dangling by a cable.

Edina Police say someone vandalized the camera on June 23rd, making it the 4th camera damaged in the city since 2023.

“It’s expensive technology,” says Jeff Potts, the Executive Director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association. “The camera device itself is worth three to four thousand dollars. The pole that it goes on is expensive, and that’s just an added expense to taxpayers.”

Authorities in the metro and across Minnesota say they’re seeing an uptick in damage to license-reading cameras, especially Flock cameras.

In Winona, authorities say eight cameras were stolen between July 29th and August 1st.

In Duluth, police say five cameras were stolen and one was damaged.

And in Plymouth, two cameras were damaged i...