An Arizona man is facing a felony charge after admitting he used his work truck to bend a license plate-reader camera because of privacy concerns. The incident happened in Apache Junction as scrutiny surrounding Flock Safety cameras continues to grow across the state.
Ed Kahle says he spotted the camera near Superstition Boulevard and Goldfield Road while heading to lunch. He said the idea of being constantly recorded did not sit well with him, especially in a community where he expected more privacy.
Kahle then backed his work truck into the pole holding the camera, bending it until the device was pointed toward the sky. He later said he stopped once he saw the camera was no longer facing traffic.
The camera has since been removed, and Kahle says he was arrested later that day. He now faces a felony criminal damage charge and is still waiting to learn when his work truck will be returned.
Kahle Says He Knew What He Did Was Illegal
Please give the following video just a second to load completely.
Kahle has not denied intentionally hitting the camera pole and says he understands that his actions were against the law. Even so, he told FOX 10 Phoenix that he does not regret what he did.
He said the camera itself was not physically smashed, but because the system was left inoperable, the damage was serious enough to result in a felony charge. Kahle also said he cooperated with officers when he was arrested.
Despite the consequences, Kahle says he believes his actions were worth it because of what he sees as a larger privacy issue. He described himself as a father, small business owner, and taxpayer who worries the technology could eventually be abused for harassment or corruption.
Arizona Communities Are Reconsidering Flock Cameras
Kahle’s arrest comes at a time when several Arizona communities are reevaluating the use of automated license plate readers. Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple recently announced the county would not renew its Flock Safety contract, citing concerns about government overreach and constitutional privacy.
The city of Chandler has also announced plans to discontinue its use of 40 Flock cameras after an audit reportedly uncovered an anomaly. Flock Safety says its cameras take still images of vehicles and license plates in public places and that the customers using the systems control the data.
Residents remain divided over whether that is enough reassurance. Some argue the cameras create an unnecessary record of people’s movements, while others say they can be valuable in emergencies involving missing children, stolen vehicles, and serious crimes.
Comments Overwhelmingly Side With Kahle
The reaction online was overwhelmingly supportive of Kahle, with many commenters treating his actions as a stand against surveillance. One person took issue with calling the device a Flock “Safety” camera, joking that the word should instead be pronounced “surveillance,” while another simply wrote, “Not all heroes wear capes.”
Several people even wanted to financially support Kahle following his arrest. Multiple commenters asked whether anyone had created a GoFundMe for him, with one saying the money could help get him a new truck, while others suggested buying him a steak dinner or a beer.
Others had fun coming up with excuses for why Kahle backed into the camera. One commenter joked that it couldn’t possibly have been him because “we were fishing at Lake Pleasant,” while another suggested it was probably an innocent accident involving someone who wasn’t used to the size of his truck. My personal favorite might be the person who joked that Kahle merely “adjusted” the Flock camera so it could look toward the sky and catch a flock of birds.
Not everyone was willing to celebrate the destruction of the equipment, however. One commenter compared the situation to someone destroying a Ring doorbell that happens to face a public street, questioning whether privacy concerns would justify damaging privately owned surveillance equipment. Still, judging by the overall response, Kahle certainly wasn’t struggling to find people who sympathized with his frustration over the cameras.