Saturday, September 5, 2026
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on August 18, 2026
Update: The hot topic of Flock cameras is now on the agenda for three board of commissioners or town council meetings this week. Along with the presentation by the Sheriff’s office at the Dare Commissioners meeting and the presentation by Police Chief Perry Hale at the Nags Head Commissioners meeting, Kitty Hawk Police Chief Michael Palkovics will discuss the use of Flock, or Automated License Plate Readers, during a Town Council workshop on Sept. 2.
Update: In the wake of the Aug. 17 Kill Devil Hills Commissioners meeting that included the discussion over Flock cameras (Automatic License Plate Readers), that issue will surface again at several local meetings this week.
Deflock Dare, the organization that is pushing for the removal of Flock cameras in the county, is urging supporters to show up for the Sept. 1 Dare County Commissioners meeting and the Sept. 2 meeting of the Nags Head Commissioners.
At the Dare County Board meeting, there will be a presentation on Flock cameras from the Dare County Sheriff’s office. And at the Nags Head meeting the next day, Police Chief Perry Hale will deliver a presentation on the how the Town uses the cameras. Nags Head also has a Transparency Portal where residents can learn more about the technology. https://www.nagsheadnc.gov/225/Police In addition, a post on the Deflock Dare Facebook page announced a “Get the FLOCK out of Dare” rally on Saturday, Aug. 29 on Colington Road in Kill Devil Hills. (4) Deflock Dare | Facebook
The debate over Flock cameras took center stage at the Aug. 17 meeting of the Kill Devil Hils Commissioners—during public comment and a subsequent presentation by the Town Police Department—with some Commissioners voicing opposition to the cameras.
The cameras use AI to read and record license plate numbers and other vehicle characteristics and check the vehicle within a database. A Voice story in March 2026 reported that there are 48 of these cameras across Dare County, a number that has grown significantly. The Outer Banks Voice – With nearly 50 Flock cameras in Dare County, law enforcement agencies say they’re taking measures to safeguard privacy
Law enforcement officials say access to the cameras’ data is tightly controlled and laud them as an effective criminal investigative tool. But opponents are concerned about privacy and the technology creating a worrisome mass-surveillance system in the country. A recent story from Politico also reported that the growing backlash to the Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) is “becoming bipartisan.” ‘Work boots and Subarus’: Local officials say the backlash against Flock cameras is becoming bipartisan – POLITICO
Locally, a group called Deflock Dare is pushing for the removal of Flock cameras. https://www.facebook.com/groups/deflockdare The first speaker during the first public comment part of the Aug. 17 meeting was Andrea O’Donnell, who organized the Deflock Dare petition that has 673 signers. Among other things, the petition calls for the full removal of all existing Flock cameras and for holding a public hearing before approving any future ALPR contract or system.
“This is not about defunding the police and it’s not a partisan issue,” O’Donnell stated in her remarks. “It’s citizens versus unchecked mass warrantless surveillance…The legal ground under this technology is shifting.” She also stated said that at least 54 municipalities across the country had decided to “cancel, decline or deactivate” their ALPR contracts.
Two other speakers in public comment also attacked the technology, with one of them declaring that “These cameras, this mass surveillance—we have no right to privacy. The Constitution guarantees us that.”
The Flock camera presentation from the Kill Devil Hills Police was led by Detective Luke Peden, who said that since July 2024, there have been six ALPRs in three different locations in town. “There’s some misconceptions out there,” he added.
Peden cited Flock cameras as an important investigative tool, pointing out that it had been used in a murder arrest and to recover two children who had run away from the area. But most of his remarks were devoted to efforts to reassure residents that the technology is not being misused.
“These are essentially a camera that takes a date and time stamp photograph of the back of a vehicle passing one given locations,” and does not identify the driver of the vehicle, Peden said. “It’s not facial recognition.”
He also reported that while North Carolina law allows the retention of Flock camera data for 90 days, the Kill Devil Hills Police only retain it for 30 days. Searches in the data base, he asserted, are only used for criminal matters and not “for personal reasons.” (Recently, a North Carolina law enforcement officer was arrested for using the technology to spy on her husband’s ex-wife and there are other reports of similar improper uses of ALPRs).
One issue that arose during the Aug. 17 meeting was why the Kill Devil Hills Police Department has not activated a transparency portal that would allow public access to more details and data about the program. The police representatives said they were uncertain about the workings of the portal, and indicated they would get back to the commissioners with more information.
The Kill Devil Hills Commissioners also weighed in on the issue during the meeting. Following the initial public comments, several of them strongly criticized Flock cameras.
Commissioner B.J. McAvoy, who is a defense attorney, asserted that the technology is “ripe for abuse” and needs to be “completely transparent.” Commissioner T. Dillon Heikens agreed, stating simply: “I don’t like it.”
Following the police presentation, McAvoy seemed to shift his tone to some degree. Explaining that people are concerned about how the ALPRs are being used, he added: “I trust that you guys are doing it the right way.”
Comments
Question authority
Don’t kid your self, part of the AI explosion that the big orange baby has crawled into bed with. As long as big tech has been given no guard rails, by this govt for example, this is what you will see with no regard to privacy rights. The barn door is open , genie out of the bottle and until communities push back asking for clarification , which rarely occurs but not impossible, more of this and worse will occur.
Jay from Nags Head
I am sorry, but this is how propoganda works. Half of this comments are from Honqzu, China. This technology is good for us, but our enemies want us to remain weak and unsafe. Objectively speaking, this is a great technology if you have done nothing wrong. If we had this before, many crimes that have happened, would not have happened.
Too many movies and foreign propoganda have fried all your brains.
FLOCK is objectively great. One must know what happens in one’s own community. We are not anarchist.
Craig
That’s right Big Brother, we can stop using those things you mentioned. We can’t stop using Flock.
Ray
When you look into and discover the amount of abuse of those systems , a brief history , you may have a different view ,…. Ultimate Power Corrupts
HackThis
People concerned about this should know the RING brand, cooperates with law enforcement without warrants. Just so you know.
disgruntled
Make Orwell fiction again!
Just saying
I understand why people are so up in arms over this. I don’t like it either. But how is it different than our phones tracking our every move and every word? Our vehicles themselves monitoring and listening everything? There has been cameras for a long time at every intersection and yes I know these flock cameras are different but if you are not doing anything wrong and not trying to hide anything who cares. Scary times we live in
Part Time OBX
To be clear – the 4th Amendment protects us from illegal search and seizure AND surveillance without a warrant! Supreme Court has ruled – Carpenter v US (2018): 5-4 long term tracking of cell phone location illegal without a warrant. Chatrie v US (2026) short term tracking of Cell Phone location illegal per 6-3 ruling without a Warrant. These cameras are illegal to track you without a warrant issued per the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution.
Sandflea
Flock-it! We’re already Flocked. Just get used to being constantly Flocked.
steve
https://www.newsnationnow.com/on-balance-with-leland-vittert/wrongly-jailed-flock-lawsuit-florida/
Robby
I’d be interested to see what Rodney Rawls says about it, he is the new Sherriff of Dare County.
I had high hopes, but once again, I’ve been let down.
BeachBall
I get it, Orwell fans! BUT solving a murder and recovery of 2 missing kids, justifies the use, in my opinion. Besides, the Chinese are already watching everything we do!
charlie
for Mike Williams; Re Lowes: It is so simple to avoid the Lowes cameras (sarcasm)..Enter the publix parking lot from 1st st. Then go behind Publix and Lowes. Park on the south side of Lowes. Walk in through the garden center…To exit reverse the instructions.. But they gotcha if you live in Colington…
ps…Question of the day?……What large complex has no Floch type intrusive cameras?…To Find Out? Attend or watch the Board of Commissioners meeting on the 1st at 9 am…
Aydulf
YES! We need more flock cameras. They are invaluable. We should look to cut useless programs like social security and medicare and redirect the savings into the TECH FUTURE!
FlockIt
@PartTimeOBX Private Entities: HOAs, apartment complexes, shopping centers, and private businesses frequently buy and install Flock cameras on their own properties to monitor traffic or security.
Private Control: Owners of private Flock cameras retain ownership of their specific data and choose whether to grant local law enforcement access to footage or search logs.
Flock Cameras have been used for years. YEARS. Nothing written about them until now. Libs hate them because they actually assist police in finding criminals.
Your privacy is invade on the daily and this is the hill you wish to die on?
Privacy Concerns/Invaders so you can throw that shit in the trash:
Ring Camera
Cell Phone
Ipads
Loyalty Cards
Toll Passes
Alexa/Gemini and so much more that I don’t have the time to post.
What constitution?
@FlockIt
I can CHOOSE to have or not have all of those things listed that “invades my privacy.” Except the neighbors ring cameras. Note tho that the ring camera is not AI assisted to capture details of me or my vehicle to log and track my whereabouts.
Of course businesses have had cameras for years, and again I don’t have to shop where they are. However I elect to be on their cameras because I want to shop there. I shouldn’t be recorded on cameras owned by government that track and log me or anyone just for driving down the road or going to the liquor store.
I just can’t understand the far right anymore. They used to be all for small businesses and don’t tread on me government. Now they just can’t seem to get enough government and actually want to be watched over everywhere they go.
thomas
Florida pulls the plug: State orders takedown of highway license plate readers in 30 days:
“The Florida Department of Transportation on Monday ordered all automated license plate readers removed from state highway rights-of-way, giving law enforcement agencies across the state a 30-day deadline to take down devices such as Flock cameras.”