Pause Flock Safety Cameras in Vernon Parish Pending Transparency, and Voter input
The Issue
We, the undersigned residents and concerned citizens of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, call for the immediate pause and removal of Flock Safety (and similar) automated license plate reader (LPR) cameras throughout the parish until a full, independent investigation of their deployment, data practices, effectiveness, costs, and civil liberties impacts can be completed—and until the public has the opportunity for a formal vote or clear democratic input on whether they should continue.
These cameras continuously capture and store vehicle license plates, make, model, color, and related details from public roadways, creating searchable records of movements accessible to law enforcement (and potentially shared more broadly). While the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office has stated they assist investigations into stolen vehicles, crimes, and missing persons and operate under policies limiting access, significant questions remain about:
• Scope of data retention and sharing (including with outside agencies)
• Auditability, potential for misuse, and safeguards against non-investigative use
• Lack of prior robust public debate, cost transparency, and measurable local outcomes versus privacy costs
• Consistency with constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and warrantless tracking of ordinary citizens’ movements
Communities across the country have raised similar concerns, leading some localities to reject, pause, or cancel contracts. We support effective public safety tools, but mass surveillance infrastructure of this nature should not expand or continue without transparent review and the consent of the people it affects.
Therefore, we urge the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and Police Jury to:
1. Immediately suspend operation of existing Flock/LPR cameras.
2. Commission or allow an independent review of contracts, policies, usage logs, costs, and results.
3. Hold public hearings and provide full transparency on the program.
4. Put the continuation of the system to a public vote or equivalent formal democratic process before any reactivation or expansion.
Vernon Parish residents deserve both safety and the protection of their privacy and constitutional rights. Please act now.
289
The Issue
We, the undersigned residents and concerned citizens of Vernon Parish, Louisiana, call for the immediate pause and removal of Flock Safety (and similar) automated license plate reader (LPR) cameras throughout the parish until a full, independent investigation of their deployment, data practices, effectiveness, costs, and civil liberties impacts can be completed—and until the public has the opportunity for a formal vote or clear democratic input on whether they should continue.
These cameras continuously capture and store vehicle license plates, make, model, color, and related details from public roadways, creating searchable records of movements accessible to law enforcement (and potentially shared more broadly). While the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office has stated they assist investigations into stolen vehicles, crimes, and missing persons and operate under policies limiting access, significant questions remain about:
• Scope of data retention and sharing (including with outside agencies)
• Auditability, potential for misuse, and safeguards against non-investigative use
• Lack of prior robust public debate, cost transparency, and measurable local outcomes versus privacy costs
• Consistency with constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and warrantless tracking of ordinary citizens’ movements
Communities across the country have raised similar concerns, leading some localities to reject, pause, or cancel contracts. We support effective public safety tools, but mass surveillance infrastructure of this nature should not expand or continue without transparent review and the consent of the people it affects.
Therefore, we urge the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and Police Jury to:
1. Immediately suspend operation of existing Flock/LPR cameras.
2. Commission or allow an independent review of contracts, policies, usage logs, costs, and results.
3. Hold public hearings and provide full transparency on the program.
4. Put the continuation of the system to a public vote or equivalent formal democratic process before any reactivation or expansion.
Vernon Parish residents deserve both safety and the protection of their privacy and constitutional rights. Please act now.
Supporter Voices
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on July 29, 2026