2026 08 17 20 Public Comment
The short version: A New Hanover County resident's public comment on Flock ALPR cameras, captured by DeFlockILM, shows local pushback is the front line against unchecked plate surveillance.
Our Take
Credit to DeFlockILM for doing the unglamorous work of showing up to a county commissioners meeting and putting a public comment on the record. This is how most of the fight against ALPR sprawl actually happens — not in congressional hearings, but in folding chairs in front of five or seven elected officials who often don't fully grasp what a Flock contract commits their county to.
We don't know the exact substance of what was said in New Hanover County, and we won't pretend otherwise, but the pattern is familiar: a resident pressing commissioners on retention policies, data sharing agreements, vendor access, or simply why nobody asked the public before cameras went up. These systems get approved in budget line items and procurement memos long before most residents know a camera exists on their commute. Public comment is often the first moment that changes.
If you live near New Hanover County or anywhere else, check our camera map to see what's already been deployed near you, and use our take-action resources to show up at your own county meeting before the next contract renewal gets rubber-stamped without debate.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of DeFlockILM, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.