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The Winona Police Department is investigating who stole the city’s fleet of Flock traffic cameras.

, the department said all eight of their Flock cameras, which automatically read license plates and capture other vehicle information, are gone.

The discovery was made over the weekend. Police said that on the evening of Aug. 1, “an officer noted that there had been no recent activity on the cameras. Officers subsequently checked the various locations where the Flock cameras were placed and found that the poles were cut down near the base.”

The release added that the poles were found in weeds nearby, but the cameras were missing.

The cost to replace each camera and pole is about $3,000.

The department's ongoing investigation follows 

 of Flock camera vandalism. Cameras in Faribault, Edina and Duluth have been damaged or stolen as well.

The use of Flock cameras is growing controversial all across the country. The devices, developed by the Atlanta-based company Flock Safety, are automated license plate readers, but critics say they do much more than that. 

The cameras use artificial intelligence to scan each vehicle that passes by and then compiles the time, date and direction of travel, as well as other data, including vehicle make, model, color, license plate and even bumper stickers, which is all uploaded to a national vehicle tracking database.

There’s been a growing anti-surveillance backlash to cities and towns using Flock cameras. 

 say the cameras allow police to track people’s movement and whereabouts without a warrant. 

The city council in Twin Cities suburb of 

 to cancel its contract with Flock Safety and stop using the devices. Some people have even alleged that 

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Catharine Richert

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The police say that over the weekend, officers found the poles the cameras were mounted on had been cut down and the cameras were gone. Flock cameras are stirring controversy across the country as they compile license plate and other vehicle details in a national database.

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Winona police want to know who stole their Flock surveillance cameras

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