A Georgia man’s attempt to take out a string of Flock cameras ended with those same cameras leading police straight to him. The irony of the incident makes it all the more interesting.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Cobb County police arrested 25-year-old Colby Williams of McDonough on Thursday morning after investigators said he shot “projectiles” at multiple Flock license plate cameras on Sept. 1, setting several of them on fire.
One camera at East Cobb Park was found completely melted, with a “DEFLOCK” sticker left on the pole, a reference to a real website that maps license plate reader locations across the country, according to Atlanta News First.
About a mile and a half down Roswell Road, three more Flock cameras at a Home Depot were targeted the same night. Two caught fire, and a third was left with two bullet holes.
He Was Caught by the Cameras
Detectives used the Flock cameras that Williams wanted to take down to find the car shown in surveillance footage. The footage showed he was driving a gray 2013 Volkswagen GTI, according to East Cobb News.
Williams was caught and booked into the Cobb County Jail, charged with four counts of criminal damage to property, four counts of arson, reckless conduct, and interference with government property. He’s being held without bond.
Cobb County Police Sergeant Eric Smith said investigators are also looking into whether Williams is connected to similar camera vandalism reported in nearby Marietta and possibly Henry County.
It Stems From Concerns
Vandalism of Flock cameras has recently increased because of public concerns about law enforcement’s use of them. Dozens of officers have either been arrested, fired, or have resigned as a result of misusing them.
Atlanta News First reported that a deputy in Clayton County was arrested for using the cameras to look up license plates that were unrelated to his job. Another deputy was fired in Hall County for using the cameras to track someone in their personal life.
Reactions Were Focused on the Bigger Issue
Some people online praised Williams’s actions with “not all heroes wear capes.” Others proposed a middle-ground solution, suggesting the cameras’ usefulness in solving crimes isn’t really in question, but that giving the public access to the same data could help address concerns about the system being abused.
Destroying government property is illegal and can lead to serious legal consequences, so such actions should be avoided. Williams is currently being held without bond