Remember the 2026 Super Bowl ad by NextDoor everyone made fun of because it tried to promote mass surveillance in the name of finding one lost dog per day? The Provo City Police department has already been paying tens of thousands of dollars per year since 2023 to track local students and citizens without a warrant using at least 23 cameras across the city. The backlash to its ad forced NextDoor to cancel its program, and the only reason the same reaction hasn't occurred in Provo is a lack of transparency and awareness.

Check out the surveillance locations here: https://deflock.org/map#map=13/40.245271/-111.678514 

There is a balance between safety and privacy, and the deployment of Flock surveillance cameras in the city of Provo upsets this delicate equilibrium. The installation of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) like those from Flock Safety threatens to push us further down a slippery slope towards a dystopian society where our every move is scrutinized and recorded by faceless technology. While these tools are marketed for increasing public safety, they come at the expense of personal privacy, and the cost is simply too high.

ALPRs capture license plate data, which is then stored in a database accessible to law enforcement. While intended for tracking stolen vehicles and suspected criminals without a warrant, they also collect images of countless innocent citizens, creating a permanent record of their locations without their consent. There is no guarantee that this data won't be misused, shared with third parties, or lead to wrongful profiling. In an era where data privacy concerns are paramount, the potential for abuse is alarming.

A growing number of cities across the United States are taking a stand against this invasive technology. Cities like San Francisco and Somerville have already banned or restricted the use of ALPRs citing privacy concerns and their minimal impact on crime reduction. Provo should follow in their footsteps and prioritize the civil liberties of its residents.

We must consider whether the incremental gains in crime prevention are worth the fundamental loss of privacy these cameras impose. Instead of leaning on invasive technologies, let’s focus on strengthening community policing, increasing public engagement, and adopting non-invasive crime prevention strategies that respect citizens’ rights.

It is time for the leadership in Provo to listen to their constituents and make decisions grounded in public consensus rather than reliance on technology that erodes personal freedoms. Join us in urging the Provo City Council to remove Flock Surveillance Cameras and prevent future use of Automated License Plate Readers in our city.

Please sign this petition to protect our privacy and civil liberties before it's too late. Together, we can keep Provo a city that values the freedom and privacy of every individual.