by Geoff Fox
A major concern across the country within the last few months has been the increasing awareness of the number of towns having put up Flock cameras that publicly track traffic movements. The public has expressed growing outrage over the data the cameras collect about private citizen movements across the country.
photo by Geoff Fox
In June of 2025, Hancock town officials approved having Flock cameras installed at various points throughout town to aid in police investigations with the hopes they’d communicate between similar cameras in Hagerstown.
However, in November 2025 – just a few months later — town officials voted to remove the cameras due to their inability to share information with other municipalities.
The cameras didn’t cost the town any money as it was only a trial period.
One camera remains in Hancock at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Main Street.
Sgt. Shawn Faith said for crime prevention reasons, he wanted to get the cameras out of town as soon as possible.
“In the nation they’re being attacked and torn up,” he said, noting that Boonsboro’s cameras just got hit “pretty heavily.”
News reports indicate that some private citizens, opposed to the public surveillance cameras, have shot them, broken them or removed them from public locations.
Councilman Josh McCusker made it clear the town does not have an active contract with Flock but the cameras are here. Sgt. Faith added they do not work.
Councilman David Kerns said it doesn’t give anyone the right to tear them down.
The pole the camera is sitting on belongs to the town, Town Manager Mike Faith said.
Sgt. Faith said police try to prevent crime before it happens, so “I’m trying to get them out of here.”
Town Manager Faith said Flock is to be in town to remove the cameras in the next couple of weeks, but if they’re not down by the end of August, town crews should take them down and put them in the Public Works building and tell Flock to come get them.
Axon body cameras coming
The Hancock Police Department’s Axon body and police cruiser cameras will be active beginning September 1, which is when the actual contract starts, Sgt. Faith said.
Axon will have people in Hancock setting up the cameras for officers on September 1 and 2, starting with the cameras in the police vehicles.
Sgt. Faith said they could have the work done in one day.
