Flock Cameras in Lansing Spark City Council Privacy and Crime-Fighting Debate

Lansing drivers may have acquired a roadside photographer they never asked for: Flock cameras. If you're new to this type of surveillance, Flock cameras are automated license plate readers that take a snapshot of every vehicle that passes by. Lansing area law enforcement says this will aid in tracking down fugitives, missing people, vehicle thefts, and other crimes that require watching our roads.

Concerned citizens, including a group called DeFlock Lansing, which gathered yesterday for a rally at the Salus Center, are calling for Flock cameras to be pulled down, as they see it as a violation of civil liberties and another step toward Big Brother and 1984.

 Lansing Council Could Revisit Flock Cameras

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According to WLNS, a new Lansing City Council resolution, introduced by Councilmember Ryan Kost, asks Mayor Andy Schor and the Lansing Police Department to end their contract with Flock and to pause any other AI-enhanced camera programs from entering the city until officials can study the impact and write policies to protect all parties involved.

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WILX reports DeFlock Lansing claims that beyond recording innocent drivers, they have concerns about possible misuse and unclear rules regarding data retention, sharing, auditing, and oversight.

Why Council Could Keep Them

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Personally, I don't have an issue with it. There are enough businesses with security cameras and homes with Ring cams that film my day-to-day; one more doesn't feel like an invasion of privacy. Honestly, if my vehicle were stolen or a family member were missing, I would hope that one of the Flock cameras caught it. That said, there are many unanswered questions and privacy concerns that should be addressed.

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Council members may feel that the benefits outweigh the backlash associated with Flock cameras and move forward with the system unchanged. The council will consider the resolution at tonight's (Monday, August 24th, 2026) meeting and possibly decide if Flock cameras are either a valuable crime-fighting tool or an unnecessarily detailed scrapbook of your Meijer runs.