Orlando man accused of spray-painting Flock cameras across 2 counties
Orlando man accused of spray-painting Flock cameras in two counties
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 43-year-old Christopher Iglesias. Investigators said surveillance cameras at nearby businesses recorded Iglesias using a long pole to reach and spray paint camera lenses mounted about 12 feet above the ground.
ORLANDO, Fla. - High-tech Automated License Plate Reader cameras line roads all over Central Florida.
Deputies say one Orlando man set out on a mission to systematically knock them offline.
4 cameras targeted, deputies say
The backstory:
Christopher Iglesias, 43, is accused of using green spray paint to cover the lenses of six Flock Cameras in Orange and Seminole counties. He’s charged with damaging an electronic device and criminal mischief.
Christopher Iglesias, 43
Deputies say six cameras were hit across four major intersections in Orange and Seminole counties:
- SR-426 & Dean Road (Seminole County — 3 cameras)
- Dean Road & Flowers Avenue (Orange County)
- Curry Ford Road & Alafaya Trail (Orange County)
- University Boulevard & Dean Road (Orange County)
While Iglesias was allegedly trying to keep Flock cameras from recording license plates, Orange County Sheriff’s detectives say nearby business surveillance cameras were recording him. Investigators say footage caught Iglesias pulling up in a custom truck and using a long pole to reach the 12-foot-high lenses.
A growing debate
Automated License Plate Readers like Flock are at the center of a growing national debate over privacy and data security.
Just last week, an 18-year-old was arrested for allegedly chopping down a Flock camera pole in Volusia County. Meanwhile, cities like Oviedo are hearing major pushback from residents demanding the technology be pulled.
Concerns have also mounted following the recent arrests of a Sumter County detective and a Haines City officer accused of abusing license plate databases to track romantic exes and family members.
What they're saying:
IT expert Matt Rose with Tech Rage IT says he understands why residents are concerned about how their data is tracked and stored.
"I think it’s good to ask questions. It keeps companies like Flock accountable," Rose said. "There’s always a question about where the data is going and how secure it is, and the easy answer is there’s nothing that’s fully secure."
Rose emphasizes that safeguards are critical when handing sensitive technology over to local agencies.
"Could you have a law enforcement individual doing the wrong things? Of course you can," Rose said. "Technology is great, but you have to have checks and balances."
The other side:
Now, the company behind the technology is stepping in to enforce those boundaries. Following growing national scrutiny, Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley announced new mandatory rules for all police departments using the platform.
"We built a tool about four months ago to automatically flag potentially abusive behavior. About a third of our customers optionally turned it on," said Langley. "We are now requiring all of law enforcement to use this."
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Orange County Sheriff's, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, IT expert Matt Rose with Tech Rage IT, and Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley .