August 18, 2026 | Mark Luis Foster

With all that news lately about Flock cameras in our metro area (many of which have been vandalized), we saw this article from the San Jose, CA, area that involves not only Flock cameras, but an HOA. From NBCBayArea.com:

A camera controversy is brewing in Brentwood after the city mistakenly approved permits to install crime-fighting cameras in a local neighborhood. The request for the license plate readers did not come from law enforcement, but rather a homeowners association. Now, residents are raising privacy concerns as the city works to revoke the permits and orders the camera company, Flock, to take them down.

That must have been some HOA board meeting where the issue was discussed. They ultimately requested the Flock camera installation in order to track license plate numbers of drivers coursing through their HOA. That reminds me of a resident in my HOA here in MN who used to yell from his yard at drivers when they exceeded our association’s self-imposed 20 mph speed limit. It’s certainly one way to control traffic.

“The cops don’t even have access to them, and it was just a private company that the HOA board members strictly have access to,” Brandon B. [local resident] said.

Speeding through the HOA must be a problem as not every resident is in opposition.

Resident William Cheseny pointed out that some locals welcome the surveillance. “They feel more protected, with the speeding that goes on – on Balfour – and I see it all the time,” Cheseny said.

In any event the cameras were short lived. In a written statement, Acting City Manager Terrance Davis confirmed to NBC that Flock is required to remove all cameras that are placed within the “public right of way.”

Read the story HERE.