Loughlin says Flock cameras need Fourth Amendment protections

Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of Rhode Island and former state representativeStatement date: September 25, 2026

“but if Flock cameras are going to exist, they need to have Fourth Amendment protections.”

Open sourceCandidates in tight LG's race debate energy costs, ICE, Flock and moreSection 'Flock cameras'

Source and context

Reporting

Candidates in tight LG's race debate energy costs, ICE, Flock and moreSection 'Flock cameras'

About this source

The Providence Journal's account of the Sept. 25, 2026 WPRI debate between Rhode Island lieutenant governor candidates Sabina Matos and John Loughlin.

Before the quotation

At a Sept. 25, 2026 WPRI debate with Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, Loughlin said license-plate reader data is 'available to anyone with a password and a grudge' and said he supports communities that are choosing to remove the cameras.

After the quotation

The Providence Journal reported that Loughlin said officers should need a search warrant and probable cause to access the footage, and that while the cameras helped solve crimes, 'it doesn't justify round-the-clock, 24/7 surveillance on Rhode Islanders.'

How this statement is classified

Mixed or conditional

Case context: Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?

The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.

Why this label?

The reference point is whether Flock-style license-plate camera networks should exist and be used. Loughlin supports communities removing the cameras but says that if they are going to exist they need Fourth Amendment protections, which The Providence Journal reports as a warrant and probable-cause requirement. Allowing them only with those protections is Mixed or conditional.

Recorded on: September 28, 2026
Published here: September 29, 2026
People and groups discussed: Flock Safety