Got tired of my city putting up these mass surveillance devices everywhere, decided to take things into my own hands. If anyone has an idea for how I could put these to a less evil use, let me know!
This feels like bait.
this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2026
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Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car’s location, date, and time. They also capture your car’s make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points. These cameras collect data on millions of vehicles—regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. While these systems can be useful for tracking stolen cars or wanted individuals, they are mostly used to track the movements of innocent people.
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Those solar panels look pretty useful.
I was thinking the solar panels and batteries could work well for a small scale solar farm.
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Tbh, I'm surprised these dont have gps tags in them. Vandalism/theft would be expected I'd think.
They might, but even if they don't, posting Exhibit A online was certainly a fucking choice
The only thing the cops in the town with a bunch of missing equipment have to do to find you is go door to door looking in people's windows for green paint on the walls.
Or even just copy this picture onto their police facebook with the line "Does anyone know this guy?"
based but also idiotic
Figure out the best way to non/minimally destructively upload new software/firmware to the devices and dump whatever you can extract on github. Let the internet do the rest.
That's a good idea, I'll have to poke at them a bit and see whether I can do that.
Strip them for copper and rare metals
I'm having a hard time believing this, as much as I want to.
Why do you have the mounting equipment and bolts? It would be one thing to steal the panel and wires, but you literally have the entire setup including parts nobody would ever bother stealing. How could you possibly feel comfortable enough to do a full disassembly in the field and organize the various installation parts like this?
The cameras do look dirty and used though. So I want to believe. I just can't fathom chillin out there taking your time to collect every component.
Put on a reflective vest, and nobody bats an eye (your mileage may vary).
As to taking all the parts, maybe that was done to not leave evidence. If a cop were to see the mounting equipment, they'd know something's up. If it's just gone, they'd have to remember that there was one there at all to recognize it's missing.
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that's fucking awesome. don't get caught lol. though i imagine at this scale you know what you're doing. godspeed
Maybe scoping the faces of ICE as they go into work, before they put their masks on
The first of my thoughts is some sort of an art installation where all these cameras are pointed at one person (standing on red X) from different angles, their distorted live outputs shown back to them in a collage. In the same vein, Massive Attack did a stage performance where they shown faces of concert goers with made up bios on stage screens driving the point about harmful surveiliance.
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I'd suggest ditching them fast just to maximize your ability to continue. If you've got a good handle on getting them stealthily, I would put that towards placing them visibly in the garbage or on the property of people or organizations that support this regime.
The solar panels should be easy enough to wire up and mpunt for personal use, just destroy any branding and make a plausible scenario for where you got them.
It depends on the specs of the batteries. If you can repurpose them to make rechargable power banks, battery packs, or maybe even power a decent rc. Alternatively, a cardboard drone isn't a hard build. Or if you're really after that super villain vibe, liions tend to burst and catch fire when punctured. An egg timer, a mouse trap, some nails and some hot glue and you'll have yourself a time delayed fire starter. I'm sure there's plenty of useful things that can be done with that.
You are a fucking legend my man, keep it up.
Holy hell. Someone actually did it!!! Thats fucking metal as fuck. Go you!!
Honestly I don't think there is much you can do with them aside from salvaging them for valuable parts without increasing your risk profile dramatically. You can't use them for anything unless you can replace the firmware and they've probably got serial numbers embedded in the bios chip so if you use them you run a huge risk.
One thing you could do is 3d model the cases and cameras. Then you could use those models to make and test 3d printable covers for any lenses or sensors that folks could print at home and glue or clip to their local cameras.
This feels suspiciously close to a fedpost. OP, it is extremely suspicious that you managed to take down that many cameras without being caught. Do you have proof on how you did this without being caught or accidentally doxing yourself? Be very careful if you are legit please, because this needs to continue.
Also just to cover my bases and this is actually fedbait though, go fuck yourself. (Does not apply if you are legit)
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If this is real, you could put together a guide on how others can most efficiently accomplish the same results. (Or link to such if it's already floating around somewhere)
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Flockin' hell.
Please be aware photos taken with a phone have metadata embedded in the picture that can be used to individually ID the device that was used, time and date, and gps location.
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Ummmm, get fucking rid of them? I find it hard to belive that some of those parts dont have GPS, and I dont want you to get arrested about it.
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