Email Your Leaders

Dear Commissioner, I am writing as a grateful county resident to thank you for voting on September 8, 2026 to cancel the county’s contract with Flock Safety and its automated license plate recognition (ALPR) camera system — and to ask you to hold that line and finish the job. While public safety is an important goal, the risks posed by Flock’s technology to privacy, civil liberties, and public trust outweigh its claimed benefits — and that is exactly why this decision should stand. Flock cameras do far more than capture license plates. By compiling time-stamped location data across wide areas, the system enables detailed “patterns-of-life” tracking of ordinary residents — revealing where people worship, seek medical care, participate in political activity, or simply go about their daily lives. This information is collected without residents’ knowledge or consent, and there is no meaningful way for the public to opt out. Equally troubling is the lack of judicial oversight. ALPR data can be accessed by law enforcement without a warrant, allowing long-term tracking of individuals without probable cause. Internal policies are often cited as safeguards, but policies are not enforceable protections, and they are no substitute for independent judicial review. Across the country, ALPR systems — including Flock — have been misused. Documented cases include stalking by law enforcement personnel, improper data sharing with federal immigration authorities, surveillance related to reproductive healthcare, and unauthorized information sharing between agencies. In addition, Flock has experienced serious security lapses that exposed sensitive camera data and feeds. The technology itself is also error-prone. Misidentifications have led to wrongful arrests, vehicles incorrectly flagged as stolen, and innocent people being detained at gunpoint. These failures demonstrate that automated surveillance systems can and do cause real harm. There are also unresolved constitutional concerns. The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized that long-term tracking of a person’s movements implicates the Fourth Amendment. A widespread ALPR network effectively creates a government tracking grid — precisely the kind of surveillance the Constitution was designed to limit. Notably, many local governments have already concluded that these risks are unacceptable. Communities across North Carolina and the country — including the Towns of Hillsborough and Pittsboro, and Chatham and Macon Counties, here in North Carolina — have canceled their contracts with Flock after learning more about privacy risks and the company’s ability to override local data-sharing controls. Finally, this program represents a poor use of taxpayer dollars. Residents are being asked to fund a system that surveils them, exposes them to data misuse, and creates legal and ethical risks, with limited evidence of proportional public benefit. For these reasons, I respectfully ask the Commission to keep Flock cancelled — to decline to reauthorize, refund, or renew any ALPR system without a noticed public hearing and a recorded vote — and to direct the release of the complete search-audit records residents have requested, unredacted as to which agencies searched the county’s cameras. Thank you for your time and for considering the long-term implications of this technology for our community’s privacy, trust, and constitutional rights. Sincerely, [Your Name] [City or District, optional]

Dear Sheriff McMahon, I am writing as a concerned New Hanover County resident. On September 8, 2026, the County Commissioners voted 4-0 to cancel the county’s contract with Flock Safety. I respectfully urge your office — which holds and operates that contract — to honor that decision: keep the automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras off, and do not renew or replace the system. While public safety is an important goal, the risks Flock’s technology poses to privacy, civil liberties, and public trust outweigh its claimed benefits. By compiling time-stamped location data across the county, the system enables detailed “patterns-of-life” tracking of ordinary residents — collected without their knowledge or consent, with no way to opt out, and accessible without a warrant. These systems have been misused elsewhere: stalking by law enforcement personnel, improper data sharing with federal immigration authorities, surveillance tied to reproductive healthcare, and serious security lapses that exposed camera feeds. The technology is also error-prone, and misidentifications have led to wrongful stops of innocent people. Because your office holds and operates this contract, winding it down cleanly is within your control. I respectfully ask that the Sheriff’s Office keep the ALPR cameras off, decline to re-enroll in nationwide data sharing or stand up a replacement system without a public process, and release in full the search-audit records residents have requested — including which agencies searched the county’s cameras. Thank you for your service and for considering the long-term implications of this technology for our community’s privacy, trust, and constitutional rights. Sincerely, [Your Name] [City or District, optional]