Cops Catch Alleged Vandal With Decoy Flock Camera

The man allegedly crept up wearing a mask, but the supposed surveillance camera he took out wasn't watching anything. Oviedo, Fla., police say 24-year-old Evan Meyer smashed what he thought was a Flock license-plate reader around 1am on Aug. 20—only to learn it was a 3D-printed dummy set up as bait after several real cameras vanished. Police were "waiting" and "watching," the New York Times reports. Meyer now faces three felony counts, including damaging computer equipment resulting in the endangerment of human life, which could bring up to 30 years in prison.

Meyer allegedly told officers the cameras near his home made him feel like he was constantly watched. The decoy tactic was defended by the mayor, who said it was not entrapment since Meyer allegedly "made the independent decision to take down the city-owned property." The case lands amid growing pushback over automated plate readers nationwide; Oviedo's City Council is set to vote Sept. 10 on ending their use entirely. Among other lawmakers, Florida GOP Rep. Greg Steube has criticized the "ability to monitor the comings and goings of citizens" as "Orwellian," per Fox News. No charges have been filed in the camera thefts between July 23 and Aug. 3.