Duluth Just Got Flocked: Reinert, Paine, and the Optional Fourth Amendment

Mayor Roger Reinert must’ve been scrolling through Superior headlines — federal lawsuits, tossed cases, civil rights complaints — and thought, “Cute. Hold my beer.” Because nothing says “steady leadership” like raising taxes, pulling down the one group email that gave residents and reporters a peek inside city hall, and then importing Flock Safety cameras — the surveillance tech so controversial it leaves lawyers circling like seagulls at a Canal Park French fry stand.

This isn’t just about Duluth being “modern.” It’s about Duluth joining Superior in a weird Northland competition to see who can treat the Fourth Amendment like a suggestion instead of a standard. Superior’s got 40 cases tossed by the DA over an officer lying caught by his own body camera, officers suing their own department, and taser stories that sound more like festival events than law enforcement. Duluth? Now we’ve got cameras that log your plate, track your car, and build a little memory book of where you’ve been — just in case.

The Flock Problem

Flock Safety markets itself like a home security system for cities. The pitch: “We’re only watching license plates, not people.” Translation: “We’re watching where all the people go, we’re just labeling them as Toyotas.” These cameras don’t blink, don’t forget, and don’t need warrants. They create patterns — where you shop, where you sleep, who you visit — and then funnel it into databases that dozens of agencies can poke around in.

Across the country, Flock has been hit with lawsuits and watchdog complaints. Critics argue it invites abuse: stalking exes, targeting activists, profiling whole neighborhoods. In places like California, cases are already in court. In Texas, there are open records fights over who can access the data. Reinert says Duluth will use them “responsibly” that’s the statement his girlfriend approved. That’s like saying you’ll only eat responsibly at a fish fry.

The Transparency Flip

While Reinert was smiling for the cameras, he was quietly pulling the plug on council@duluthmn.gov — the long-standing group email that let citizens write to the whole council at once and automatically cc’d media outlets. That inbox was messy, sure. It came with a disclaimer that messages were public. But it also gave residents a one-click way to reach city hall, and it gave journalists a window into what people were actually saying.

Reinert’s spin? “More privacy.” Translation: “Less accountability.”

In his Facebook post, he argued the group email violated Minnesota’s Data Practices Act because residents didn’t always realize their words could be shared. That’s true ?!?— but it also meant complaints, whistleblowing, and neighborhood concerns couldn’t be quietly buried. Now? Unless Reinert delivers a miraculous “alternative,” the press is out of the loop, and residents get funneled into one-on-one inboxes where emails vanish faster than pothole funding.

Jim Paine: The Co-Star

Meanwhile across the bridge, Mayor Jim Paine is already starring in his own constitutional circus. The Douglas County DA tossed 40 criminal cases tied to truth issues with an officer because that couldn’t lead to more potential Fourth Amendment problems. One Superior cop even sued her own department, alleging her rights were violated. Toss in taser incidents and a city council already allergic to transparency, and you’ve got enough material for a Netflix docuseries.

Paine’s response to all this? More spin than a carnival Tilt-A-Whirl. His council avoids public records like they’re contagious. Transparency comes with JustFOIA Tracking conditions. And every deposition we’re waiting on promises to be better reading than any city newsletter ever printed.

Spin & Translation

Reinert: “This increases transparency by making direct contact easier.”
Translation: “No more reporters cc’d — just you, your councilor, and a digital trash bin.”

Paine: “We’re following due process.”
Translation: “We’re following our process: first deny, then deflect, then delete.”

Reinert: “The cameras will improve safety.”
Translation: “Congratulations, your license plate is now evidence waiting for a crime.”

A Pattern of Governance

Step back and look at the pattern.

• Superior fumbles civil rights cases and racks up lawsuits.

• Duluth installs Flock cams and deletes a group email.

• Both claim “transparency” while the public gets less of it.

• Both treat the Fourth Amendment like a policy memo they can edit.

This isn’t leadership. It’s a Northland improv act: “Tonight’s performance — optional democracy, with audience participation strongly discouraged.”

Mic Drop

Between Paine’s lawsuits, Reinert’s cameras, and a disappearing city inbox, the entire Northland is officially being flocked. Superior treats civil rights like a fire sale, Duluth treats privacy like an outdated app, and both mayors treat accountability like a side quest.

The Constitution wasn’t supposed to be optional, but here it’s seasonal — like snow removal or Grandma’s Marathon parking rules. One city’s tossing cases, the other’s tossing emails, and the people? We’re tossed in the middle.