Ocean County man accused of intentionally cutting down a police Flock camera

🚨 A 31-year-old Brick man was charged after police say a Flock license plate-reading camera was intentionally cut down.
📹 Police say the camera remained operational after the July 8 incident at an Exxon station on Drum Point Road.
👮 Brick police say Flock cameras don't issue tickets or make arrests; they provide investigative leads to help solve crimes.

BRICK — An Ocean County man is charged after police say he helped cut down a pole holding a Flock license plate-reading camera.

On July 8, officers from the Brick Township Police Department responded to the Exxon station on Drum Point Road after receiving reports that a Flock safety camera was intentionally cut down. The camera remains operational, police said.

They arrested Andrew Wardell, 31, of Brick, who was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.

Brick police explain what Flock cameras actually do

According to Brick Township police, Flock cameras are automated license plate readers designed to help police identify vehicles connected to criminal activity. They can help locate stolen vehicles, investigate incidents such as burglaries, thefts, and other crimes, and provide investigators with valuable leads when a vehicle is captured on camera.

READ MORE: Flock cameras expand across New Jersey; are they an invasion of privacy? 

Flock cameras can also help identify vehicles involved in crimes across jurisdictional boundaries, help establish timelines and patterns during criminal investigations, and provide information that may help officers quickly locate a suspect vehicle or a missing vehicle.

Flock cameras don't issue tickets or make arrests

Flock cameras do not issue tickets, conduct traffic stops, or determine that someone committed a crime. Information obtained from the system is used strictly as an investigative lead. The Brick Township police said it's committed to using this technology responsibly to prevent crime and keep the community safe.

“We also remind residents that intentionally damaging or destroying police equipment is a criminal offense,” police wrote on its Facebook page.

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