Flock cameras debate continues in Columbia County
The short version: WTEN reports Columbia County's new Flock 'transparency portal' and decade-long camera use, but a dashboard isn't oversight and the contract can still be canceled.
Our Take
WTEN's report on Columbia County gives us a familiar pattern: a sheriff's office quietly running license plate readers since 2014, then rolling out a 'transparency portal' only after public pressure forces the issue into the open. A dashboard that tells you cameras exist isn't the same as meaningful oversight — it doesn't tell you who's querying the data, how long it's kept, who it's shared with, or whether local, state, or federal agencies outside the county are pulling from that feed.
The 'no facial recognition' line is also doing a lot of work in this story. Flock's core function — tracking every plate that passes a camera, building a travel history on anyone who drives through town — doesn't require facial recognition to be invasive. Pointing to one feature Flock doesn't have is a distraction from the ones it does.
What matters here is that Supervisor Chameides is right about one thing: elected boards can end these contracts. That's leverage residents actually have. If you're in Columbia County or anywhere else wondering what's already watching your plate, check our camera map, and if you want to push back on a local contract, our take-action guide walks through how.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WTEN, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.