Oviedo police use fake Flock camera to catch vandalism suspect

A fake flock camera and a police sting is causing quite the major stir in Oviedo. Tonight, the mayor says she was shocked by a covert plan that ended with a suspected camera vandal and cops. Fox 35's Larissa Leone has the details. After a string of vandalism on flock cameras in Oviedo, police say they had to get creative, so they printed a 3D print of a decoy camera. They set it out in hopes to catch a suspect, and they said it worked. One of the officers 3D printed the camera, we put it up, and we conducted surveillance on it, and Wednesday night or Thursday morning, we caught an individual that was vandalizing the camera. Police say Evan Meyer wore all black when he used pruning shears to cut down the fake camera on Lockwood Boulevard, an area where police say several flock cameras have been stolen. In response, police say they created bait cameras, and they caught Meyer breaking one of those fake cameras. Oviedo Mayor Megan Sladak posted on social media saying she was shocked by the police department's plan. Nobody on city council had direct knowledge that the police were doing any sort of operation like this, so it's sort of an evolving bit of information. This all comes right after Monday's city council meeting, where leaders debated whether to consider ending the use of the cameras. But police chief David Coleman says his officers treated the vandalism like any other criminal investigation. She didn't know the whole story, because quite honestly, she and I had not talked, hadn't talked up until at that time. But we look at this as any other kind of criminal ongoings. If somebody's doing something, somebody's selling drugs on the corner, we will investigate it. While Mayor Sladak was caught off guard, she agrees anyone damaging city property must face consequences. This is publicly owned property, and the police did their job. The timing and it having to do with flock, I think, is what makes this a very sensitive issue for everybody. Mayor Sladak also questioned funding for the operation. Chief Coleman says printing the decoy cost almost nothing, saving taxpayers from replacing the cameras that cost thousands to fix. I think it's safe to say the fact that it was a fake one saves, you know, spending more money on equipment that we are currently utilizing. Albedo police say if vandalism continues, they will put a decoy out again and do this operation all over again. Loris Leon, Fox 35 News.