Vandal to surveillance devices: go Flock yourself

Maybe it’s the signs of spring, or the coming Mercury retrograde, or the rising spirit of civil disobedience in the face of, y’know [gestures vaguely in the direction of Washington, D.C.] Maybe it’s all of the above. Whatever it is, someone—or someones—has been feeling feisty in Church Hill and they’re not Flocking around. Or, more precisely: they’re throwing Flocks around.

It’s been a few months since those slender black poles with solar panels on them sprouted up all over Church Hill. As The Lookout reported in December 2024, these odd obelisks belong to Flock Safety, a private firm that sold its surveillance technology to Richmond Police Department for beaucoup bucks last year. Atop each pole sits either an automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera, or a “gunshot detection” sensors, both of which feed data into a searchable database.

Once you know what to look for, you’ll see these things standing sentry all over the neighborhood. And if you keep your eyes peeled, you may see a few lying down on the job, because this past week-ish, an unknown Flock foe(s?) began tearing some of ‘em down. The Lookout has received tips from readers that at least three audio devices (“Ravens,” as Flock calls them) have been toppled in Libby Hill Park and by Chimborazo Playground.

What might motivate such acts of Flock-tagonism? At publication, The Lookout was unable to identify the culprit, so it’s impossible to say for sure. But knowing what we know about Flock and similar devices, I can think of a few reasons why somebody in Church Hill might target them. In no particular order…

They’re an easy target for mischief. Pretty self-explanatory, and the odds-on favorite in my book. The poles are flimsy, and appear to be held together by just a few hex bolts. Maybe somebody was just fucking around.

They’re ugly. Also pretty self-explanatory. Our neighborhood is beautiful and historic; Flock’s jet-black poles look like Tim Burton’s toadstools sprouting up from the netherworld to hoover up untold terabytes of data. Not a cute look, as the teens say. (Maybe? I don’t know.)

They’re everywhere. The cartographically inclined folks at MapsRVA have been charting the locations of ALPRs and gunshot detectors throughout Richmond; in the East End, they’ve clocked at least eight Flock cameras, and dozens of audio units. Maybe somebody just got tired of seeing Tim Burton’s toadstools all over Church Hill.

They cost a lot of money. According to public records obtained by The Lookout last year, RPD spent around $400,000 in federal tax dollars to have Flock install these devices around town. On one hand, it seems counterintuitive to deface public infrastructure that’s already paid for. On the other hand, these aren’t really public infrastructure—Flock retains ownership of them, leasing them to Richmond. Perhaps Church Hill’s undercover ALPR lover hater abhors public-private partnerships and vendor lock-in.

The ALPRs are watching you. The RPD has called Flock devices a “force multiplier;” privacy advocates around Virginia have described them as “a system of mass surveillance gives enormous opportunity for abuse of unimaginable scale.” Regardless how you feel about them, it’s true that the cameras gather an enormous amount of searchable video footage of Church Hill roads that law-enforcement bodies around the country can access with varying degrees of discretion. (See below.) That sort of database can be used to apprehend criminals, but it can also be used to harass and terrorize innocent people. Maybe our local Flock-Blocker doesn’t like that tradeoff.

The efficacy of the gunshot detectors is dubious. RPD chief Rick Edwards told The Lookout in December that these sensors help improve his understaffed force’s response time to shootings and recovery of evidence at those sites by providing accurate real-time geolocation. Maybe! But the accuracy of these systems is not settled science, and critics have accused Flock and other firms of using the seemingly innocuous idea of gunshot detection as a hook for its camera systems.

Virginia has no guardrails on this tech, and proposals are limited. The General Assembly put a bill on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk outlining how Flock and other ALPRs can be used, which is better than what’s currently in place (nothing), but not nearly as restrictive as 33 civil-liberties groups would like. A major issue is how long the system can store the footage and other data it collects. Commonwealth lawmakers’ proposed limit is 21 days; New Hampshire law allows just three minutes. Another is who can access this data, and how. Right now, police don’t need a warrant to access the data generated by Flock’s devices in Church Hill (or anywhere in Virginia.) If Youngkin signs HB 2724 into law, they still won’t; the law dictates only that its use must be “part of a criminal investigation.” Moreover, it leaves the door open for law-enforcement agencies across the country to access the data. If somebody in Church Hill just read with alarm The Guardian’s report this week about Immigration and Customs Enforcement tapping into ALPRs in New York, you could imagine them becoming a conscientious Flock-jector.

Or maybe it’s none of the above. Got any theories? You know what to do:

And one more thing: careful out there, neighbors. Somebody’s throwing Flocks around!

🅿️ Jefferson Ave. parking and paving updates

Feels like I write about Jefferson Avenue virtually every edition of The Lookout, and you know what? The streak continues today. Lookout John P. snapped the photo above of the hot new parking signage on the 2400 block of Church Hill’s major east-west artery, which instructs drivers to back into parking spaces to the right of the lane they’re traveling in, rather than crossing the opposite lane to pull into its parking spots headfirst. Good! Back-in angle parking is safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists alike. Now, does anybody want to start a pool for how many drivers will follow this simple direction — and how much actual enforcement is implied in those big “ENFORCED” warnings at the top?

On a more serious note, perhaps you’ve noticed that much of Jefferson Ave.—including portions that juuuuuuust got reopened with the diagonal parking spots described above—were milled and repaved this week. (Or are about to be.) From what I can tell, at least some of these sections are slated to be reworked again during Phase III of the redesign, which is scheduled for next year. Hmm. I’m doing some reporting on what’s going on, and should have more information next week. Meanwhile, if you know anything, send me a tip!

📜 Possum Poetry

Possum Poetry is original verse written exclusively for The Lookout by Penelope Poubelle, the Lookout’s litter critter-at-large. If you spot roadside trash you’d like her to immortalize in doggerel, email a photo to [email protected]. All submissions anonymous!

📢 Happenings on The Hill

• Grab a Guinness: Or Guinnii, plural, at this weekend’s Church Hill Irish Festival, officially this Saturday-Sunday (3/15-16) and unofficially tonight, too. I’m pouring beer Saturday afternoon, come find me for a sticker! Details here.

• RIP, ramen: Slurp! Ramen announced it will close on March 30th, capping just under two years on Jefferson Ave. No word yet on the noodle shop’s replacement. Noodle on the farewell note.

• Pharmacy scarcity: Recent VCU research found “pharmacy deserts” in three neighborhoods, including Fulton. HOPE Pharmacy, in the 25th St. Market complex, is bridging the gap. Read The Richmonder’s report.

Happenings on The Hill is a digital bulletin board for events, causes, and other items of interest to East Enders that don’t necessarily merit full editorial treatment. Got something for a future edition? Email the relevant details, links, etc. to [email protected] for consideration!

📸 A Very CHill Photo

Want to share your Very CHill Photo from the neighborhood? Email it to [email protected] with your name as you’d like it to appear for publication, and the camera you shot it on.