A petition to remove Flock license plate reader cameras in York County has surpassed its goal of 2,500 signatures.

The Change.org petition, launched Aug. 12 by DeFlock York County, had 2,609 signatures as of Saturday, Sept. 19, according to Roaring Eagle News. DeFlock York County, based in Fort Mill, is a local branch of the national organization founded in October 2024 by Will Freeman. Its stated mission is to locate Flock cameras, educate residents and highlight what it calls the negative impacts of the technology.

York County's 45 Flock cameras are spread across multiple agencies. The York County Sheriff's Office (YCSO) operates 19. The Clover Police Department has seven. Neighboring jurisdictions including Rock Hill and Fort Mill have upward of 20.

The petition milestone comes months after a Lake Wylie man sued the YCSO in late June, alleging in court filings that a deputy stopped him and held him at gunpoint for roughly five minutes after a Flock camera returned a mistaken hit on his vehicle. The Sheriff's Office confirmed the error in an internal affairs report, stating the stop "resulted from erroneous information associated with a Flock alert," the Post and Courier reported in August.

York County Council District 2 Councilman Andy Litten told Roaring Eagle News that the cameras are "an asset more than a hindrance." When told the cameras' error rate could translate to an estimated 1,500 daily mistakes on a two-camera stretch of Highway 274 near Crowders Creek Elementary, Litten said 4% was "close enough to zero" for his comfort, though he added his "opinion is subject to change."

Litten also said the petition would need signatures representing 10% of the county's voting public before council would treat it as a formal issue. He questioned the reliability of Change.org signatures, saying they would need to be backed by voter registration cards.

After the petition crossed 2,000 signatures, organizers posted a message demanding transparency about who can search Flock data, how long it is retained, what outside agencies can access it and how misuse is detected.

YCSO Public Relations Officer Trent Faris pointed to a planned transparency page on the Sheriff's Office website and a portal provided by Flock Safety. Faris said the office hopes both portals will help address public concerns.

Sheriff Tony Breeden defended the cameras in a July 21 video, as the Post and Courier reported in August, saying, "We have put good restrictions on who can use it, who can access it, the case numbers that have to be entered to utilize it …" He said the 19 cameras have helped close more than 250 cases, including homicides, robberies and burglaries.

The local fight echoes national pushback. Florida's Department of Transportation on Aug. 31 revoked permits for Flock cameras and other license plate readers on state highway roads, citing misuse reports and data privacy concerns, and gave agencies 30 days to remove them. In Charlotte, the Charlotte Observer reported in July that a CMPD officer was arrested after allegedly using the Flock database to check whether a person buying drugs from his friend was an undercover officer.

No York County Council meeting or vote on Flock cameras has been scheduled.