U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie announced he will sponsor a bill to withhold federal dollars from cities that use Flock cameras.
Massie, a Lewis County Republican who represents Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, said in an X post July 25 he will sponsor a bill to withhold federal funds from police departments and municipalities that use “Flock (and other style) cameras to surveil law-abiding citizens.”
His post included an illustration of a snake wrapped around a surveillance camera with the text “don’t flock me.”
Flock cameras capture license plates and other details from passing vehicles and upload the information to a database that can be accessed by police across the country. Many police officials say the cameras are a helpful public safety tool.
The use of Flock cameras has faced backlash across the country, including in Northern Kentucky. The city of Newport, Kentucky, announced earlier this month it would end its Flock license plate camera pilot program after many residents expressed privacy concerns. Kenton County Police Department also asked county officials to install six Flock cameras at local parks and the jail parking lot.
Massie has been in office since 2012. He lost the Republican primary to Trump-backed Republican Ed Gallrein in May.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kentucky Rep. Massie says he will sponsor anti-Flock camera bill
Reporting by Mia Hilkowitz, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mia Hilkowitz, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
