David Perry

Our Take

When an elected official steps up to the podium on their own time to challenge a surveillance program, it's worth paying attention. DeFlockILM's footage from the Aug. 17, 2026 New Hanover County Commissioners meeting captures school board member David Perry speaking as a private citizen about the county's Flock Safety ALPR cameras — a reminder that pushback on these systems isn't confined to activists or privacy wonks, it's reaching people who sit on public bodies themselves.

Public comment periods like this one are often the only real check citizens have on quietly expanded surveillance infrastructure. License plate readers get approved in budget line items and vendor contracts, rarely with the kind of scrutiny a standing-room public meeting can provide. Credit to DeFlockILM for recording and sharing this moment instead of letting it disappear into county meeting minutes nobody reads.

If you want to see whether cameras like these are already logging plates near you, check our map, and if you're ready to push back in your own community, our take-action page has the tools to get started.