MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — A Flock Safety automated license plate reader belonging to the Mount Pleasant Police Department was cut down over the weekend.
The camera, a Flock Falcon, was located off Highway 41 near the Charleston and Berkeley County line. It was active until around 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, according to an incident report obtained by News 4.
The pole holding the camera was crudely severed several inches off the ground and the cables connecting the device to the batteries the adorning solar panel charged were also severed. It was found lying against the nearby guardrail.
Detectives estimated that it would cost approximately $1,000 to repair the camera. It did not capture any images of a suspect and the case was administratively closed with no leads, according to the report.
The incident comes amid mounting unrest regarding abuse and automated surveillance, specifically cameras manufactured and sold by Flock Safety. The day before it appears the Mount Pleasant camera was cut down, a Colleton County Sheriff’s Deputy was fired for allegedly using his agency’s Flock cameras to make over 2,700 searches for himself, friends, and other deputies. A recent Washington Post investigation found at least 50 other instances of misuse nationwide…