Local Governments Clash Over Flock Safety Camera Deployments

Local governments in New York and North Carolina are experiencing conflicting outcomes regarding the use of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras. In Fredonia, New York, Jason Schmidt, the Chautauqua County District Attorney, defended a new 10-unit pilot program during a September 1 village Board of Trustees meeting. Schmidt argued the technology is a targeted tool necessary for public safety given limited law enforcement funding, asserting that courts have ruled there is no right to privacy in public spaces.

Fredonia residents and officials challenged the program's transparency and the risk of data being shared with outside jurisdictions. Former Trustee James Lynden urged the board to disable the cameras, while Pomfret Town Board member Mike Lee questioned whether entities outside Western New York could track citizens without consent.

Conversely, the Dare County Board of Commissioners in North Carolina voted to immediately deactivate and remove 14 Flock cameras operated by the Dare County Sheriff's Office. Despite Sheriff Doug Doughtie's defense of the cameras as vital tools for solving murders and drug cases, commissioners cited citizen privacy concerns as the primary reason for the removal order. Doughtie clarified that the cameras only capture vehicle details and license plates without facial recognition capabilities.