Pender County Sheriff’s Office responds to questions over Flock camera locations, use

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Pender County Sheriff’s Office is responding after questions were raised about the use and location of Flock Safety cameras across the county.

Concerns were raised after Mark Williams, an attorney and founder of DeFlock ILM, said a public records request showed several Flock Safety cameras owned by the sheriff’s office were located on private property.

“By moving the cameras just a few more feet off the roadway onto a private landowner’s property, you avoid all of those regulatory requirements, and it appears that’s what Pender did,” Williams said.

The sheriff’s office disputed that characterization, saying the cameras were installed on both public and private property as part of its commitment to public safety.

“The cameras were installed on both public and private property through Property License Agreements facilitated by Flock Safety. Flock Safety is the holder of these license agreements and not the Pender County Sheriff’s Office.”

According to the sheriff’s office, it currently leases eight fixed Flock automated license plate reader cameras. The cameras are positioned at major entry and exit points around the county to help identify vehicles connected to criminal activity.

The sheriff’s office also has one mobile camera. Williams said public records indicated the unit had been listed as being used for traffic violations.

“We don’t know that it was actually run for that purpose, but that’s the purpose the law enforcement said it was being used for. That purpose is now allowed by state law,” Williams said.

Williams, who is also an attorney at Rice Law, said North Carolina law only permits remote speed readers in school zones.

The sheriff’s office said the mobile unit is capable of displaying a vehicle’s speed to encourage safe driving, but that function operates independently from the Flock Safety system.

“Speed information is not transmitted to or stored by Flock Safety, nor is it used for speed enforcement or issuing citations.”

Williams said his concerns extend beyond speed enforcement to the broader privacy implications of automated license plate reader systems.

“There’s no doubt these systems help law enforcement solve crimes. I don’t contest that. The issue it at what cost,” Williams said.

The sheriff’s office said its Flock cameras capture license plate information, the date and time a vehicle passes a camera and the vehicle’s make, model and color.