How police used Flock cameras to catch man accused of burning them
Man accused of melting Flock cameras caught by cameras
Police arrested 25-year-old Colby Williams after multiple Flock cameras were burned and shot in Cobb County.
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - A 25-year-old man faces multiple felony charges after authorities say he used a projectile to set surveillance cameras ablaze across Cobb County.
Cobb County police arrest
What we know:
Cobb County police arrested 25-year-old Colby Williams of McDonough on Thursday morning following a string of damaged surveillance devices.
Investigators say late Tuesday night, someone shot projectiles at Flock cameras, setting them on fire. One camera at East Cobb Park was found completely melted, and there was a "DEFLOCK" sticker left on the pole.
Just a mile and a half down Roswell Road, three additional Flock cameras at a Home Depot were targeted. Two caught fire, while a third had two bullet holes.
Investigators tracked a 2013 gray Volkswagen captured on the camera network. Officers then used license plate recognition data from the system to locate Williams.
Williams was charged with four counts of criminal damage to property, four counts of arson, reckless conduct and interference with government property.
License plate camera destruction
What we don't know:
Authorities have not said what type of projectile was used to shoot at the devices.
Police have not confirmed if Williams is connected to similar property damage reported in Henry County and Marietta. Marietta Police said they are working alongside Cobb County officers to determine if Williams is responsible for camera destruction in their jurisdiction.
Park visitors speak out
What they're saying:
Visitors at East Cobb Park expressed concern over the deliberate destruction of public safety equipment.
"Why would people do that," frequent park visitor Bharat Kalani said.
Another park visitor, Uajee Uddim, noted there are "bad elements out there that are looking to target those cameras." Following the arrest, Uddim added, "Good to know he's been arrested, and I hope elements like those are off the street."
Park visitor Shawn Churney voiced mixed feelings about the widespread surveillance technology but condemned the violence. "Yeah, it can record crime, but you don't know what else they're using them for," Churney said. "Whoever did that y'all wrong for that man."
"They had been intentionally damaged," Cobb County Police Sgt. Eric Smith said. Smith noted that "Flock cameras were used to locate Williams."
Surveillance equipment vandalism
The backstory:
The arrest comes amid a broader national trend of automated license plate readers being vandalized.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Cobb County Police Sgt. Eric Smith, the Marietta Police Department, statements from visitors at East Cobb Park, and reporting by FOX 5 reporter Denise Dillon.