The ‘Guardrail Guy’ Went Viral for Posting About Flock Cameras. Then Someone Destroyed Them

Steve Eimers has racked up hundreds of thousands of followers crossed platforms similar YouTube, TikTok, and X. Under the moniker “The Guardrail Guy,” helium posts astir installation issues with guardrails lining roadways crossed the country. He began posting astir guardrails successful 2022, a fewer years aft his 17-year-old girl Hannah was killed erstwhile she collided with a guardrail that pierced done her car alternatively than guiding it backmost to the road.

In April, Eimers began posting astir different hallmark of American roads: automatic licence sheet readers (ALPRs).

ALPRs, sold by companies similar Flock and Axon, usage mounted cameras to seizure vehicular data, which tin beryllium utilized to way radical suspected of committing crimes. Eimers expanded his information advocacy due to the fact that helium believes ALPRs whitethorn airs superior risks to passengers successful the lawsuit of a crash. His assertion is that galore ALPRs are installed excessively adjacent to guardrails, which undermines their functionality, oregon are placed connected existing roadworthy signs, which tin negate the quality of “breakaway” posts to relation safely upon impact.

His videos astir ALPRs touched a nerve. The devices person go progressively controversial, and cities crossed the state are weighing their effectiveness against the risks of misuse. Though Eimers’ videos focused connected whether the cameras were “crashworthy,” galore commenters believed the cameras were invasive and represented a quiescent enlargement of wide surveillance successful their ain neighborhoods.

Eimers noted, with alarm, that an expanding fig of radical were telling him to destruct the cameras, and immoderate were furious that helium hadn’t. Others wanted to cognize the nonstop determination of the cameras successful his posts, oregon suggested that they contained metals similar gold, silver, and copper. Some suggested circumstantial vandalism methods.

“Large diameter tube cutter,” work a remark connected a video Eimers posted connected July 24, accompanied by a representation of a large-diameter tube cutter. “Nice and quiet, cuts it similar butter!!!!”

On July 22, Eimers posted that Flock, possibly the astir recognizable ALPR marque successful the country, had committed to conducting a nationwide audit of its camera installations. Eimers included a video of a section Flock camera, which helium had besides posted astir the erstwhile day. Garrett Langley, the company’s CEO, quote-tweeted Eimers, whom helium called a “true American hero.”

On July 25, Eimers says helium was driving location with 1 of his daughters erstwhile helium came crossed the camera from his post. He was taken aback: It was severely damaged. He tells WIRED it looked similar it had been shot.

A mates of miles down the road, helium passed by different Flock camera that helium had documented successful a TikTok video backmost successful May. It was likewise damaged.

Eimers made a decision: He was halting each ALPR-related advocacy enactment indefinitely.

Eimers says that seeing the cameras near him feeling “a small spot shell-shocked.” He says they show what helium sees arsenic an alarming surge successful antagonistic sentiment toward Flock and different ALPR companies.

“I conscionable haven't seen oregon experienced what I've experienced implicit the past fewer months with the escalation ever with immoderate of my guardrail advocacy work,” Eimers says, adding that helium doesn’t privation to “feed the trolls.”

Eimers tells WIRED that helium reported the harm to section police. The Maryville Police Department and the Blount County Sheriff’s Office announced connected July 31 that they had arrested Adam Heimerman, who appears to beryllium moving for Congress successful Tennessee, and charged him with felony vandalism for shooting 4 ALPR cameras successful the country betwixt July 14 and July 22.