Debate on the uses of Flock Cameras in Bonneville County tonight
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IDAHO FALLS — Are you for or against Flock cameras? Stakeholders are set to debate tonight over the use of these license plate readers in Bonneville County.
Hosted by Stand Up for Idaho, a nonprofit that describes itself as a “nonpartisan, nondenominational, nonprofit organization striving to inform and educate the public,” the event will bring together Brian McKellar, an organizer for DeFlock Idaho, Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson and Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse to debate the use of Flock.
The debate will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Westbank Convention Center, 525 River Parkway. Doors open at 6 p.m. Wednesday, and admission is free.
Since July, some community members have voiced their discontent with the use of Flock cameras. They were installed in 2025.
According to DeFlock — a group opposed to the use of these cameras — Idaho Falls has about 38 license plate readers, including those in the city of Ammon.
McKellar filed a tort claim against the city of Idaho Falls on July 30, after giving the city an ultimatum to take down the cameras before July 29.
“They’re currently violating Idaho law, period. And then secondly, it’s mass surveillance,” Brian McKellar, an organizer with Deflock Idaho, told EastIdahoNews.com. “It’s akin to going against our Fourth Amendment rights. That’s kind of the big picture of why we don’t like these systems.”
McKellar is seeking $100,000 in damages for violating Idaho Code 49-1432 by allowing Flock Safety to use and profit from the data collected by scanning his personal vehicle. McKellar told EastIdahoNews.com that he does not want the money but instead wants the cameras to be taken down.
Idaho Code 49-1432 states that license plate reader data can be accessed during investigations of felonies, misdemeanors, traffic accidents, or searches for missing or endangered persons.
The code also prohibits personal use, political activity or surveillance unrelated to specific investigations.
“While the city of Idaho Falls does not believe the current contracts with Flock go against Idaho Code or other applicable law, the city has heard residents’ concerns over how data collected by Flock is used. In response, the city has been in the process of amending the Flock contracts so that the company cannot use data to train its artificial intelligence systems,” a statement from the city of Idaho Falls in response to the tort claim.
On July 31, the Idaho Falls City Council approved an amendment to its contract with Flock Safety to that effect.
EastIdahoNews.com has been covering the discussion surrounding Flock cameras in Idaho Falls and Pocatello. To learn more about how Idaho law dictates how this data could be used, or the movement to “deflock” Idaho, click on the stories below.
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