HopNews
To the Editor:
I am writing to express severe concern about the Hopkinton Police Department placing flock cameras in Hopkinton. If you’re unfamiliar with them, Flock cameras are specialized license plate readers.
The cameras capture and store your license plate, your car’s make and model, any bumper stickers you have, and any dents, scratches, or other identifying marks. In addition, they can log your driving routines. For example, if you take a road regularly, it will use ai to note that you take it regularly at certain times.
This database is meant for criminal investigations, which is why the Police Department installed it. But, there have been countless cases of misuse of flock cameras. Furthermore, the police already have many other methods rather than mass, unconstitutional surveillance of everyone who uses West Main Street or Hayden Rowe.
First of all, flock cameras are surveilling and storing data that should require a warrant. The police chief argues that in order to access the flock database, you need to “basically spell out reasonable suspicion”. Basically? I need a word stronger than ‘basically’ to trust my constitutional right not to be unreasonably searched.
It implies there are exceptions and minor loopholes, as shown by the fact that in Georgia, deputies used the same cameras installed here, with the same safeguards, to track their ex-partners. Although they were caught and prosecuted, the ability to abuse this system is evident. It could easily happen again.
Plus, for similar location data, you could use phone location data, which requires a warrant. Or, you could use these flock cameras without needing a warrant or opting out of them. Why can the police suddenly use this data, which normally requires careful consideration and a warrant to access? It’s concerning that they can use it so easily to stalk someone in their personal life.
In Chatrie v. United States, the Supreme Court reaffirmed a previous ruling. They stated that you need a warrant to access phone location data because otherwise it violates the 4th Amendment. Why are these cameras all different?
When you buy a phone, you opt in to being tracked. In contrast, someone places these cameras here without our knowledge or permission. This is a blatant form of unconstitutional surveillance, abused on private citizens.
Finally, Flock, the company the police department has a contract with, is a private, for-profit company. They can be hacked or breached at any moment, exposing all of our driving routine and location data. Even if Flock claims to be protecting our private data today, that doesn’t mean they always will.
Even the sentence ‘A private company is installing cameras to monitor private citizens’ is a sentence that should never need saying in the US. Never mind a state like Massachusetts, where we talk about privacy as a core right. No one wants to live in the world of Orwell’s 1984, being constantly surveilled, and this is a concrete step towards that.
A few specifics pulled from audit logs (https://haveibeenflocked.com/pd/6951-hopkinton-ma-pd/audit)
Total Queries: 1087
Drug Releated: 522
ERO (Enforcement and Removal / Immigration): 75
Larceny / Package Theft: 49
Motor Vehicle B&E: 34
Burglary/Breaking & Entering: 12
Hit and Run/Car Accident: 9
Suspicious Behavior: 8
Motor Vehicle Theft/Stolen: 6
Stolen Property: 5
Traffic Infraction: 5
Financial Crime (Embezzlement/Fraud): 4
Wanted Person (Arrest Warrant/Fugitive): 3
‘Investigation’ without a specific case: 160
Specific Cases (24-000501, 24-014625, 24-163, 25-6550, 5erm15): 34
Miscellaneous Test/Training: 149
HaveIbeenFlocked has all of this information available. The three individuals have done searches, Gregg DeBoer (632 Searches), Scott van Raalten (14 [All Test]) and a mysterious . Sco (92) all with ‘test’ or suspicious.
439 have no user associated with the searches.
DeBoer is primarily DEA searches, including a number with ERO associated. ERO is usually related to Immigration Enforcement Activity – usually deportation in association with ICE, but conducted under DEA, according to the logs.
Of note: Package theft, shop (assumed shoplifting) are reasons listed. Most of the ‘invest’ are related to a “vermeer/vermer” from September 15 to September 25, 2025. There are a few that do not have the reason, but all within that timeframe. All done under DeBoer.
Records are included from October 16, 2025 to July 13, 2026. There are a few additional information on the HPD public “Flock Data” portal, but that has most of the data redacted. Few of the searches are only slightly isolated (23, excluding 2 test search) are for less than 100 agencies. More than half are between 100 and 235 agencies (697). 454 are for basically nationwide searches of 5706 to 6406 agencies.
Is this reasonable? You tell me.
I really appreciate the arguments presented in this letter and agree 100% !
my remarks were in response to Gideon McFarland’s letter.
My thoughts exactly. These cameras need to GO.
I have no problems with the cameras . Every building in town and most houses have cameras . The first amendment covers it if you can see it with your eyes from public you can video. My problem is little to no confidence in law enforcement . Officers have and will continue to miss read the data then they will violate your fourth amendment rights when you are pulled over using poor data.
The problem is that there is such massive potential for abuse with mass surveillance systems like this; something as powerful as Flock should not be used at all due to human nature.
I AGREE. CONFIDENCE IN THE HOPKINTON POLICE FORCE IS NOT STRONG, CURRENTLY
While there are several issues involved with these cameras, their purchase, and their use, in my opinion that they were installed without, apparently, the knowledge of our Town Government is the most egregious.
What incentives would the HPD have to actually inform the public? Last time they made a decision, you (and many others) spent MONTHS fighting the inevitable. And showed that they don’t have justify themselves – thoughts and prayers win out over governance.
Do you expect something different?
The police need ALR for their safety from evil criminals. How dare you question their thoughts and feelings and integrity l insist on actual governance!