Fort Mill and Tega Cay both operate Flock Safety license plate reader cameras, the same technology that Charlotte-region communities are now canceling contracts over amid privacy concerns.
Online petitions to end Flock use in York and Chester counties have gathered more than 2,000 signatures, the Rock Hill Herald reported Aug. 27. The York County Sheriff's Office, which runs 19 Flock cameras, faces a federal lawsuit alleging deputies held a Lake Wylie man at gunpoint after a camera returned a false hit on his car.
The pushback follows two officer-misuse cases in North Carolina. In July, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer was accused of using Flock and other technology to assist someone involved in a drug investigation, WBTV reported. In August, a Mooresville officer was accused of using Flock cameras 31 times to track her boyfriend's ex-wife.
The town of Catawba, N.C., announced Sept. 8 that it would not extend its 60-day trial agreement with Flock, citing limited funding and other needs. WCNC Charlotte reported Sept. 11 that other Charlotte-area municipalities have also ended their contracts, though it did not name them. In Oconee County, S.C., the county council passed a first reading of a measure that would ban Flock cameras entirely, the Herald reported.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley told WCNC he wants stronger oversight of license plate readers. "My hope is that not just Flock, but our peers in the industry and state regulators wake up to this problem and also start increasing the penalties for a violation of the power that we entrust in law enforcement," Langley said.
What Tega Cay and Fort Mill have in place
Tega Cay operates nine Flock cameras at the city's entry and exit points, according to the city's published FAQ. The police department began using the system in 2020 and signed a five-year contract in August 2023 at $22,500 per year.
The city's policies address several concerns driving the regional debate. Officers must enter a valid case number and document a law enforcement purpose before the system allows a search. The department's Internal Affairs officer reviews Flock audit tools weekly and audits all system searches monthly. A detective sergeant reviews hotlist entries monthly.
Tega Cay restricts Flock image access to its own authorized employees. Other law enforcement agencies cannot view images from cameras within the city's jurisdiction.
Data is deleted on a rolling 14-day cycle. The city also publishes usage statistics through a Flock transparency portal.
Fort Mill also operates Flock cameras, including at least one on US 21, according to the Post and Courier. Fort Mill's policies are less clear. The total number of cameras and the department's specific oversight procedures are not publicly available.
York County Sheriff defends cameras, faces lawsuit
York County Sheriff Tony Breeden has acknowledged public concerns about the technology. In a video posted to the sheriff's office social media July 21, Breeden said the cameras helped close more than 250 cases, including homicides, robberies and burglaries, the Associated Press reported.
A lawsuit filed in June alleges deputies confronted a Lake Wylie driver at gunpoint on Feb. 14, 2024, after a Flock camera mistakenly linked his BMW to a stolen-vehicle report. The sheriff's office internal affairs report attributed the stop to erroneous information from a Flock alert, the Post and Courier reported.
Flock has said it places its error rate at nine per one million alerts. The company also reduced its default data retention period from 30 days to one week.
Breeden said his office is building a transparency portal for its website to show how the cameras are used. He did not give a launch date. No public meeting on Flock policy has been announced in Fort Mill or Tega Cay.
