Documented Incident
No charges yet in Grand Valley State Flock camera vandalism; sheriff cites 6-10 damaged cameras in Ottawa County
First reported: September 14, 2026 · 1 source
The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the vandalism of a Flock Safety camera on Lake Michigan Drive near Grand Valley State University, and no one has been charged. Captain Jacob Sparks said the pole was cut at its base, causing the camera and solar panel to fall, catch fire and be destroyed, and that between six and ten of the sheriff's office cameras have been vandalized in recent months. Records obtained by the Grand Valley Lanthorn show GVSU signed a Flock contract on Aug. 6, 2025 covering two Falcon cameras and FlockOS, totaling $14,500 for year one plus recurring costs.
The case illustrates both the growing physical backlash against ALPR cameras and the uneven transparency among agencies: nearby Grand Rapids launched a public Flock portal in September, while GVSU — which appears in Grand Rapids' list of data-sharing partners — has none.
Key facts
- No charges have been filed; the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office investigation is ongoing.
- Capt. Jacob Sparks said 6 to 10 sheriff's office cameras were vandalized in recent months and attributed the damage to a nationwide trend of opposition to the technology.
- GVSU's contract, signed Aug. 6, 2025 by retired GVPD chief Brandon DeHaan, covers two poles and installation ($2,500 one-time) and FlockOS plus two Falcon cameras ($6,000 annually), totaling $14,500.
- Flock's Advanced Search tool, which Grand Rapids purchased for $3,500, does not appear on GVSU's invoice.
- GRPD's transparency portal, opened Sept. 9, lists 1,658 agencies it shares data with and 1,246 it receives data from; GVSU appears only as a data provider and has no portal of its own.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Investigation into GV Flock vandalism continues, part of local and nationwide trend (Grand Valley Lanthorn, September 14, 2026)
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BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.
Updated September 14, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.