Did Someone Just Cut Down A St. Cloud Area Flock Camera?

Earlier this week, you might have heard about all 8 Flock cameras in Winona being cut down and taken. It appears we might have the same thing going on in St. Cloud. A social media post about a camera being cut sparked my drive out to where one was reported to be.

St. Cloud Flock Camera Cut Down

According to a crowdsourced website, there was once a Flock camera on County Road 8, just outside of the city limits of St. Cloud, pointed in a southerly direction. That camera isn't there anymore.

I took a drive out to the location, which is shared on the crowdsourced Flock camera website, and noted there was a black pole, which appeared to have been cut roughly two feet off the ground.

If there was a Flock camera there, it isn't anymore.

Judging by the grass in the area where the camera was supposed to be, it looks like someone backed up a vehicle, cut the pole, and left with whatever was on that pole, whether that was a Flock camera or not.

Flock Cameras In The St. Cloud Area

There are roughly 20-25 Flock cameras in the St. Cloud area; you can see the cameras' exact locations here. Currently, the cameras, which are automatic license plate readers, are used to collect data on passing vehicles. That data can be sent to law enforcement to recover stolen vehicles or to potentially solve another crime.

Opponents of the cameras feel that they violate their right to privacy.

READ MORE FROM PAUL SHEA