Nags Head Board defers action on Flock cameras, seeks more public input

By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on September 1, 2026

Dare Commissioners vote to remove Flock cameras from unincorporated areas

By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice   

Update: After a presentation led by Nags Head Police Chief Perry Hale and a lengthy discussion, the Nags Head Board of Commissioners took no action on Flock cameras at their Sept. 2 meeting—with commissioners indicating they wanted more input on the issue from town residents. There are 12 Flock cameras in Nags Head, with the first being installed in early 2024.

In his presentation, Hale characterized the cameras as a “great tool that assists us in investigations.” But he indicated a willingness to further restrict access to their data or create a review panel to monitor their use in response to privacy concerns. At the meeting, the commissioners offered a number of questions and comments, with Commissioner Molly Harrison stating that, “I think the public needs reassurance about this system.” When asked by Mayor Ben Cahoon if the board was ready to take any action at the meeting, Commissioner Megan Lambert summed up the general consensus by noting that “I definitely want to hear more” from town residents.

The Nags Head meeting on the morning of Sept. 2 took place one day after the Dare County Board of Commissioners voted to remove the 14 Flock cameras operating in the unincorporated areas of the county. The matter is also on the agenda for the Kitty Hawk Town Council meeting at 6 p.m. on Sept. 2.

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Dare Commissioners vote to remove Flock cameras from unincorporated areas

By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice    

Following an impassioned public comments session and a presentation from the Dare County Sheriff’s office, the Dare County Commissioners unanimously voted to remove Flock cameras from the unincorporated areas of the county at their Sept. 1 meeting.

There are currently 14 Flock cameras (Automated License Plate Readers or ALPRs) operated by the sheriff’s department in those unincorporated areas. Sheriff Doug Doughtie informed the commissioners that the department could remove them within two weeks.

The exploding debate over the use of Flock cameras across the nation fundamentally pits its function as a helpful law enforcement tool against opponents’ concerns about privacy and surveillance. Flock cameras trigger nationwide backlash over privacy concerns, police abuse – ABC News

Locally, the issue was discussed at the Aug. 17 meeting of the Kill Devil Hills Commissioners and it is also on the agenda for the Sept. 2 meetings of the Nags Head Board of Commissioners and Kitty Hawk Town Council. The Outer Banks Voice – Flock cameras on agenda at Dare and Nags Head Commissioners meetings this week

During a lengthy public comment period at the Sept. 1 Dare Commissioners meeting, more than a dozen speakers voiced opposition to the Flock technology in no uncertain terms and often with a degree of anger. And in ultimately voting to approve their removal, several commissioners cited the importance of listening to their constituents.

Among the speakers at the meeting was Andrea O’Donnell, the organizer of the Deflock Dare group (6) Deflock Dare | Facebook who appeared with an American flag shawl draped around her and reported that their petition to remove Flock cameras in the county had now gathered 750 signatures. Among other things, she described the use of Flock technology as “a dragnet.”

Aida Havel, a Democratic candidate for the Dare Board of Commissioners, declared that “I am deeply concerned about how intrusive these cameras are.” Another speaker, Andrew Jenkins, said, “We’re all in support of law enforcement,” but he called Flock technology a “Trojan Horse. It’s a creeping menace.” Another speaker, identified as Rachel from Kitty Hawk, declared “I’m tired of being watched.”

Summing up the general sentiment during public comment, one speaker characterized Flock technology as “the beginning of the stripping away of what makes America America.”

During the presentation that followed these comments—which was provided by Sheriff Doughtie and Deputy Sheriff Master Officer Tyler Doughtie—the sheriff stated that “obviously it’s a tool and we like what we have been able to do with it.” But he also stressed that the department was not at the meeting to take a position on the cameras.

“We don’t have a penny in this fight,” he told the commissioners. “It’s not an opinion for us whether we should keep [the cameras] or not. That’s apparently your job. You set the rules for us.”

During his remarks, Doughtie recounted the history of Flock cameras, which were first installed in unincorporated Dare County in 2014. He also reported that in the past month, the technology detected 324,884 unique vehicles, enabled 42 searches and received 110 alerts from the National Crime Information Network.

Among the success stories, he cited the use of Flock cameras in locating a suspect in the July 31, 2025 fatal shooting of Zane Hughes at Avalon Pier. He also noted that they have aided in the recovery of multiple stolen vehicles and in missing people cases and drug crimes.

Tyler Doughtie responded to numerous questions from the Commissioners. After one that questioned the constitutionality of the cameras, he stated that “at this point in time, they are legal in this state.” When asked if there was other less intrusive technology available to law enforcement, he explained that “We’re the least intrusive as far as ALPR (Automated License Plate Reader) technology.”

He also offered the undeniable observation that the cameras are “a hot topic of concern being discussed nation-wide.”

During their board’s discussion of the sheriff’s presentation, one commissioner made his opposition to Flock cameras quickly known.

“I do believe they are direct violations of the Fourth Amendment,” that protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures, declared Carson Creef. While lauding the work of the Dare County Sheriff’s Department, he added that “I also believe that there has been misuse of this program throughout the country…by law enforcement.”

It was more difficult to discern the positions of the other commissioners during that discussion, but some of their questions seemed aimed at countering some of the criticisms from Flock camera opponents.

In that vein, Steve House asked Tyler Doughtie if the sheriff’s department was interested “in how many times Jane Doe goes to the grocery store?” which elicited a quick “no sir” response. Rob Ross wondered if any of the individuals with the capability to search Flock data have been identified “as misusing that search capability.” That also generated a “no” answer.

Following that discussion, Board Chair Bob Woodard asked: “Is the board prepared to take some action today,” Mike Burrus then offered the view that “I feel it’s intrusive [and] infringes on taking our freedom.”

Ross said that one group that had not been heard from at the meeting are the victims of crimes that may have been solved by Flock cameras. But in the end, he acknowledged that their use is “still viewed as an egregious overstep by government.”