New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office begins ending access to Flock camera system
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office is beginning the process of ending its access to the Flock Safety camera system after county commissioners voted Tuesday to cancel the county’s contract with the company.
The Sheriff’s Office said it is working with the New Hanover County Commissioners and County Manager to immediately begin eliminating its access to the system.
As an immediate step, the Sheriff’s Office has disabled national sharing. That means other participating law enforcement agencies can no longer conduct searches that include Flock cameras operated by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office also removed system access for current employees, preventing new searches through its Flock system while the cancellation process is completed.
The office said it has contacted Flock regarding termination of the agreement and that the company is working with its legal department on the cancellation process.
The Sheriff’s Office also notified the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation that it has terminated its license plate reader agreement and is ending its participation with Flock.
The office said it will continue working with county commissioners and the county manager to complete the termination process.
The announcement comes after county commissioners voted 4-0 Tuesday to cancel the county’s contract with Flock Safety.
Commissioners previously raised concerns about privacy, data custody and potential misuse of automated license plate reader technology.
The county’s decision affects its contract with Flock, while other automated license plate reader systems operated by other agencies or entities in the area may remain in use.
