Sheriff Eggleton lied: the floor surveillance cameras are online. #deflock #mostellerforwvhouse

Our Take

Credit where it's due: Michael Mosteller II, running for WV House of Delegates, did what local reporters and most elected officials won't — he went and looked. According to his video, Sheriff Eggleton's office claimed a stretch of ALPR cameras near Hurricane wasn't operational, and Mosteller says the footage he captured tells a different story. We can't verify the specifics beyond what's shown, but the core issue is one we see constantly: law enforcement statements about camera status often don't match what's bolted to the pole.

This is the recurring problem with Flock Safety's rollout nationwide. These systems get installed quietly, oversight is thin to nonexistent, and when questions come up, the public is largely stuck taking an agency's word for it. A candidate having to physically drive out and film a camera to check whether officials are being straight with constituents is not how democratic oversight of mass surveillance infrastructure is supposed to work — it's what happens when there isn't any.

If you want to see what's been documented in your own area, check our camera map, and if you're tired of taking agencies at their word, our take-action page has steps for pushing your local government toward actual transparency.