2026 08 17 32 Public Comment
The short version: A New Hanover County resident's public comment on Flock ALPR cameras shows how local government meetings remain a key battleground for surveillance accountability.
Our Take
Credit to DeFlockILM for documenting this public comment at the New Hanover County Commissioners meeting — the kind of footage that rarely makes headlines but matters enormously. When a resident stands up at a county meeting to question why Flock cameras are tracking every car that passes through town, they're doing the unglamorous work of democracy that keeps surveillance expansion from happening on autopilot.
These county-level fights are where the real battles over ALPR networks get decided. Commissioners often approve these contracts with little scrutiny, assuming nobody's paying attention to line items about 'public safety technology.' A single informed resident asking pointed questions on the record can force officials to actually justify the cost, the data retention policies, and the lack of independent oversight — or expose that they can't.
If you live somewhere with Flock cameras already installed, or suspect you might, check our camera map to see what's been documented in your area. And if your own county commission has a public comment period, there's no reason your voice shouldn't be next — our take-action resources can help you get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of DeFlockILM, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.