Holland teen charged with vandalizing license plate cameras

HOLLAND — A 19-year-old Holland man is facing felony charges after authorities say he vandalized local law enforcement equipment, part of a troubling nationwide surge in attacks on automated license plate readers, according to Ottawa County Sheriff Eric DeBoer.

Jerod Allen Folkert, of Holland, was arraigned Friday in 58th District Court before Judge Anna White on charges of malicious destruction of police property. He was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond pending future court appearances.

According to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, investigators launched an inquiry on July 29 after discovering significant damage to a Flock Safety Camera System. Repair costs for that single incident are estimated between $1,500 and $2,000. Detectives subsequently identified 19-year-old Folkert as a suspect and forwarded the case to the Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which authorized the felony charge on Aug. 19.

The arrest comes amid a rash of similar incidents across Ottawa County targeting Flock cameras and other Automated License Plate Readers. Deputies noted that the local sprees reflect a broader national trend of citizens and vandals targeting public surveillance technology.

"I've been following the national conversation around this technology closely, and I think it's important to say plainly: A lot of the concern being raised is based on misinformation or a genuine misunderstanding of what this system actually does," DeBoer said.

"To be clear about that, it captures an image of a license plate already visible on a public roadway, the same information any deputy could lawfully observe and photograph without a warrant. It checks that plate against law enforcement databases for stolen vehicles, missing persons, and Amber Alerts, and notifies our office of a match," he said.

Critics and privacy groups argue that the cameras track everyday movements of regular citizens, not just suspects — an assertion DeBoer said is not true.

"It does not run the plate with the Secretary of State to find the registered owner; it does not use facial recognition; it does not know who's driving; it does not track where a vehicle is headed; and it is not used for traffic enforcement," DeBoer said. "Every search of our system requires a documented reason, and no enforcement action is ever taken based on an alert alone; deputies independently verify every hit before acting."

Several residents made public comment asking for the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners to intervene in some way to either impose greater transparency on how Flock cameras are used or to scrap the system altogether.

"The sheriff's department insisted these cameras were harmless license plate readers, and that we have no expectation of privacy on public roads," said resident Chip Vander Zwaag. "We strongly disagree. These AI-powered cameras are the literal eyeballs for a supercomputer run by a private company. They are highly capable of capturing detailed images of every vehicle and family coming and going ... and the rest of our activities on the roads. This private corporation has no right to build a mass surveillance dragnet of our community and places of worship."

The board agreed to schedule a future work session to discuss the issue, which DeBoer said would be productive.

"I take the public's concerns about this technology seriously, and I understand why residents want more transparency about how it's used. I'd welcome the opportunity to participate in a board work session to walk through exactly how our office uses this system, what it can and can't do, and the safeguards we have in place," he said.

The sheriff’s office is actively investigating several related destruction-of-property incidents across the county. Authorities urge anyone with information regarding these crimes to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office or submit an anonymous tip through Silent Observer by calling 877-88-SILENT (745368) or visiting mosotips.com.

— Sarah Leach is the executive editor of the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at sleach@ottawanewsnetwork.org. Follow her on Twitter @ONNLeach.