2026 08 17 26 Public Comment

Our Take

Credit to DeFlockILM for getting a camera in the room at a New Hanover County Commissioners meeting and putting the public comment on record. We don't have the transcript, but the fact that a resident felt compelled to stand up and address county leadership directly about Flock's license plate readers tells you something: these systems don't stay quiet forever. Someone notices the cameras, starts asking who approved them, who can access the data, and why a county government signed a contract with a private surveillance vendor without much public debate.

This is exactly the pattern we've tracked across the country — a handful of residents doing the unglamorous work of showing up to commissioners' meetings, filing records requests, and forcing elected officials to answer for infrastructure most people don't even know is bolted to a pole near their house. New Hanover County is just the latest stop. Whether or not this comment changes a single vote, it adds to the public record, and public records are how local reporters, watchdogs, and future commissioners eventually connect the dots.

If you live near New Hanover County or anywhere else with Flock cameras, don't wait for a news story to tell you they're there. Check our map to see what's already been documented in your area, and if your county hasn't had this conversation yet, our take-action page has the tools to start one.