The Hillsborough Board of Commissioners approved an $81,500, two-year contract with Flock Safety in August for 10 surveillance cameras. On Monday, the board talked with its attorney in closed session before voting to cancel the contract with the Atlanta-based public safety technology company.
The town was “excited about implementing a new technology that has been shown to help solve crimes, find missing persons, and increase the ability of patrol officers to deter crime,” Mayor Mark Bell and Police Chief Jason Winn said in a joint statement.
“While this technology would provide benefits for police and community safety, we also have to weigh the potential negative impacts that the program may present to the community as a whole,” they said. “We will look for new and other innovative programs and applications for our police department to continue our commitment to keeping Hillsborough a safe and prosperous community.”
Flock Safety surveillance cameras take photos of passing vehicles and their license plates, creating a searchable database of identifying features that represents millions of vehicles on the road. Over 5,000 law enforcement agencies in 49 states use the data to identify possible suspects, deter criminal activity and find missing people.
Hillsborough started installing the cameras last month. Town staff and board members said Monday they didn’t see the fine print about how Flock Safety can share data that’s collected with a third party or other government entity if there is a “good faith belief” that it’s necessary.
While they support local police and giving them the tools they need, members said they are not willing to do that at the expense of residents’ private data. The town’s contract “allows Flock to override our judgment for theirs,” Commissioner Matt Hughes said.
“We uphold the Constitution, we take an oath as elected officials, but a private company doesn’t,” he said. “We’re accountable to our constituents, and hearing from folks, I think, is one of the reasons we’re having this conversation.”
Flock Safety has over 400 customers in North Carolina, including university campuses in Chapel Hill and Charlotte, and over 100 law enforcement agencies, including in Alamance, Chatham, Durham and Wake counties.
In Orange County, there are about 40 cameras already installed, Hillsborough officials said. It was not immediately clear where the cameras are located or who has the contract for them.
Officials with the Carrboro Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office said they do not use the cameras. The Chapel Hill Police Department has not yet responded to questions. Expanding network raises privacy concerns
Flock Safety won a years-long battle with state regulators last year to get a business license that gives it access to security information. The company initially operated without a license because it argued that Flock systems are not alarm systems.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper also signed a law continuing a 2024 pilot project that let the State Bureau of Investigation install cameras on Department of Transportation property. Cameras are also being used by businesses and some homeowners associations, expanding the network of available data.
The cameras trigger an alert through a secure phone app when a license plate associated with a crime or missing person is spotted.
The company’s growth has alarmed privacy advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, and the public. The News & Observer’s in-depth report last year explored those issues, finding mistakes and instances of police misuse.
The company says the cameras do not capture faces or identifying information, monitor traffic or identify safety violations.
NC Reality Check is an N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com.
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