4.2 KiB
Q: What can I do to help? A: Depends on your skillset and what you're comfortable with — we're happy to support whatever you want to pursue in your own community:
- Don't mind paperwork? Filing public records requests and sending them our way is genuinely useful.
- Have free time? You can submit cameras to the app.
- Design-inclined? Contribute to (or use) designs from the DeFlock Store.
- Comfortable with public speaking? Speaking to city council is very effective.
- Interested in organizing your town/area? We'd love to talk you through starting a local group.
Reach out on Signal if you want guidance on any of this — we're here to help: https://signal.me/#eu/nJAAGCq9X29CQQRW4DD1e8M0wGHRI3mkBtqt-XfltzDQ1n2V2nZBKKgA7pRTLIRD
Q: I'm having trouble finding cameras near me — what do you know about wardriving? A: Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/aV7v4R3sKT — the #mapping-discussion and #wardriving channels are good places to ask. People there are generally friendly and willing to share skills, tools, and resources, and you may be able to find like-minded folks in your own state.
Heads up: there are probably law enforcement and Flock employees lurking in that Discord, so keep that in mind.
Q: Are there any petitions I can sign? A: There are likely several petitions active in your area. Easiest way to find them: search "[your area/nearest major city] ALPR petition" (or "Flock petition" / "DeFlock petition"), swapping in the terms most relevant to you. Many are hosted on Change.org.
Q: How do I actually get cameras removed from my city? A: It's genuinely complicated and varies a lot by city and situation, but roughly, for a city that's still deciding whether to adopt cameras and has a vote/discussion scheduled:
- Gather a group of motivated people to help.
- Inform the public about ALPRs and encourage people to attend the council meeting.
- Try to get private meetings with individual council members to gauge and build support.
- Get as many people as possible to actually show up and speak at the public meeting.
- Hope they listen.
More info here: https://github.com/DeflockYourCity/flock-alpr-toolkit
We'd like to support you if you want to start a local group or run a campaign in your area — happy to set up a call to help evaluate what you need and connect you with others in your state working on the same thing. Reach out on Signal to set up a time: https://signal.me/#eu/nJAAGCq9X29CQQRW4DD1e8M0wGHRI3mkBtqt-XfltzDQ1n2V2nZBKKgA7pRTLIRD
Q: I'm speaking with city council and need help preparing — what resources do you have? A: We'd love to help. Some resources that tend to help:
- https://deflock.org/council — our guide to speaking with city councils
- https://github.com/DeflockYourCity/flock-alpr-toolkit — a toolkit built to help with this
- https://library.kansas.watch/ — a library of documented ALPR abuse incidents
- https://eyesoffcr.org/blog/blog-8.html — a whitepaper on critical security vulnerabilities
- https://deflockwoodland.org/senator-wyden-investigation-flocks-security-notoriously-insecure/ — background on Flock logins found on the dark web
- https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Common_Questions,Arguments,%26_Responses_when_discussing_Flock_Surveillance — a list of talking points
Practical tips: consider requesting private meetings with council members beforehand (or asking friends/supporters to do the same — calls and emails count too), and get as many people as possible to attend the public meeting even if they don't plan to speak. Make sure it's clear the concern is with ALPR surveillance broadly, not just one vendor.
We may also be able to connect you with others in your area willing to show up in support — let us know the time and address of the meeting if you'd like us to help spread the word.
Q: A city near me got rid of its Flock cameras — what should I do with that info? A: That's great news — let us know the details and we'll get it queued up to be reflected wherever we track that. Keep us updated on anything else that develops!
Q: Following up with someone who previously expressed interest in starting a local group A: (Outreach template, not a reply to an inbound question.) "Hey, are you still interested in organizing a group in your area?"