Concerns grow over Flock Safety cameras in New Hanover County
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WWAY) — Some New Hanover County residents and local leaders are raising questions about the use and oversight of Flock Safety license plate-reading cameras.
Mark Williams, an attorney at Rice Law Firm and founder of De-Flock ILM, said he began looking into the technology after noticing one of the cameras while driving to work.
“I stumbled on the Flock cameras driving to work one day and I saw this pole with the solar panel on it with a camera and I asked myself ‘what is that?’” Williams said.
Williams founded De-Flock ILM several months ago after learning that some of the cameras were operated by the Sheriff’s Office and placed on public property.
“I don’t like the fact that Lowe’s has Flock cameras, but that’s their right, but with the government doing mass surveillance treating us all like suspects, that doesn’t sit well with me,” Williams said.
The motion-activated cameras use artificial intelligence to read license plates and collect vehicle information. A map maintained by the nationwide DeFlock organization shows multiple cameras located throughout New Hanover County.
New Hanover County Commissioners Dane Scalise and LeAnn Pierce have also expressed concerns about the cameras.
“The citizens of New Hanover County are asking completely legitimate questions about these cameras and deserve a transparent review and discussion by the Commission,” Scalise said in a statement to WWAY.
In response to the concerns, New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon sent commissioners a memo explaining how the program operates. McMahon described the cameras as an investigative tool and said protecting residents’ privacy remains a priority.
“Protecting privacy remains a priority. Information collected through the system is retained for a limited period in accordance with Sheriff’s Office policy and applicable law before being automatically purged unless it becomes part of an active criminal investigation,” the memo states.
McMahon said the cameras do not use facial recognition, identify drivers or passengers, or capture images of a vehicle’s occupants. He also said the cameras are not intended to function as a surveillance system.
Municipalities including Whiteville use Flock Safety cameras, while Chatham and Macon counties have ended their agreements with the company.
Williams said he hopes New Hanover County will do the same.
“I’m not against law enforcement, I have many friends who are in law enforcement and they tell me it helps them fight crime, and I have no reason to disbelieve that, but I just don’t think these cameras are American,” Williams said.
