07/13/2026
The Rutherfordton Police Department would like to address recent questions and concerns regarding Flock Safety Cameras.
These cameras are not used for speed enforcement. They are not used to issue citations for minor traffic violations or motor vehicle infractions. Their purpose is to assist law enforcement with public safety and criminal investigations.
Flock cameras are a valuable tool that can help officers identify vehicles associated with stolen vehicle cases, missing persons, Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts, homicides, shootings, robberies, wanted individuals, and other serious criminal investigations. In many cases, timely information can make the difference between a case going unsolved and a victim or family receiving answers.
We ask our community to consider this: if your child, parent, spouse, or loved one was missing or in danger, would you want law enforcement to have every lawful tool available to help bring them home safely?
Each damaged camera costs approximately $3,500 to replace. When public safety equipment is damaged, that cost does not just affect the police department; it affects the community. It also impacts the availability of tools that may be needed to help someone’s family member, recover stolen property, locate a missing person, or solve a serious crime.
If these cameras continue to be damaged, additional cameras or surveillance equipment may have to be purchased and installed for the purpose of identifying those responsible and assisting with criminal charges. That creates even more unnecessary cost to the community.
Any person who damages, disables, tampers with, or destroys public safety equipment is committing a crime. The Rutherfordton Police Department will investigate these incidents thoroughly, and anyone responsible will be arrested when appropriate and charged to the fullest extent allowed under North Carolina law.
We ask anyone considering damaging this equipment to understand that doing so does not make a statement or help anyone. It only hurts the community, limits tools available to law enforcement, and may delay help for someone who truly needs it.
These cameras exist to help protect our community, assist victims, support families, and hold offenders accountable. We ask the community to assist if they have any information and contact 911 if you witness anyone committing this offense.
Thank you.
Clint Ingle
Chief of Police