De Soto Police are investigating after one of its four Flock cameras was shot three times and the pole supporting it was cut on the south end of the city sometime after 9:48 p.m. Aug. 21.
Police Chief Brent Steger said the department was notified of the downed camera on Vineland School Road near the city’s athletic complex on Monday morning.
“It’s back up and running,” Police Chief Brent Steger said Tuesday morning.
Steger said detectives are investigating and are asking anyone with information to call the department at 636-586-8891.
He said he believes a Flock camera costs a few thousand dollars, but the camera has been repaired. He said now officers are investing time and resources into investigating who damaged the camera.
Flock cameras or license-plate reading cameras are used as an investigative tool by many police departments, businesses and schools across the country, helping with reports of missing persons, fleeing suspects, stolen vehicles and other cases. Because of how cameras are positioned, images of drivers and passengers are not seen in the feed, just images of vehicles and license plates, officials said.
The cameras have recently been in the national news for alleged incidents of misuse across the country.
“It is unfortunate that these cameras have become a hot topic recently due to the misuse of the cameras by other departments around the state,” City Manager Todd Melkus said. “They are very useful tools for law enforcement agencies, but I do believe that additional safeguards need to be implemented to avoid misuse from occurring.”
The company behind Flock cameras recently updated its privacy, security and transparency safeguards.