08/23/2026
We recognize that Flock cameras and similar technology are a contentious topic in the community at the moment.
We have all seen lots of posts for, and against their use. Many of those posts contain false information generating unwarranted confusion.
We appreciate the Davidson County Sheriff's Office for sharing these facts so citizens can be informed.
DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE EXPLAINS NEED FOR FLOCK CAMERAS, APPROVAL PROCESS AND PROTECTION OF CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office is providing information to the public regarding the agency’s use of Flock Safety automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, including why the technology is needed, how the cameras were obtained, how they assist law enforcement and the safeguards in place to ensure the technology is used responsibly and in accordance with the Constitution.
WHY DAVIDSON COUNTY NEEDS FLOCK CAMERAS
Davidson County covers a large geographic area and contains numerous major highways and secondary roadways that allow thousands of vehicles to travel through the county every day. Individuals involved in criminal activity are increasingly mobile and frequently cross municipal, county and state boundaries.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office has a responsibility to use lawful and effective investigative resources to protect the citizens of Davidson County. Flock cameras provide deputies and detectives with another tool to help:
• Locate stolen vehicles and recover stolen property;
• Locate missing and endangered people (Amber or Silver Alerts);
• Identify vehicles associated with wanted individuals;
• Locate suspects wanted for serious and violent crimes;
• Develop leads in criminal investigations;
• Assist investigators in establishing timelines;
• Provide information concerning vehicles associated with crimes; and
• Assist other law-enforcement agencies when investigations cross jurisdictional boundaries.
Flock cameras do not replace deputies, detectives, witnesses, forensic evidence or traditional investigative techniques. They provide information that can help investigators determine where to focus their resources and can provide valuable leads during time-sensitive investigations.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office has already experienced multiple successes through the use of this technology. Flock cameras have assisted the agency with recovering stolen property, locating stolen vehicles, locating missing persons, apprehending individuals wanted for serious offenses and developing leads in major criminal investigations, including homicide cases.
In today’s law-enforcement environment, minutes and hours can make a significant difference when investigators are searching for a missing child, an endangered person, a stolen vehicle or a violent offender. Technology that can lawfully provide investigators with timely information regarding a vehicle’s location can be extremely valuable.
HOW DAVIDSON COUNTY OBTAINED THE CAMERAS
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office did not simply install these cameras without public governmental review. Chief Deputy Craven and Captain Burns presented the proposed Flock project to the Davidson County Board of Commissioners on October 3, 2024, during a public informational meeting in great detail.
The Sheriff’s Office requested permission to purchase 25 Flock Safety traffic/license plate recognition cameras. Twenty-three cameras were to be installed at strategic locations throughout Davidson County, while two of the cameras will be portable.
The Sheriff’s Office believed 25 cameras represented an appropriate starting point for a county the size of Davidson County and would provide strategic coverage while allowing the agency to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology.
The matter was subsequently placed before the Davidson County Board of Commissioners for consideration.
On October 14, 2024, the Davidson County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the Flock project. Commissioners Todd Yates, Steve Shell, Chris Elliott, Karen Watford, James Shores and Matt Mizell voted in favor of the project. Commissioner Fred McClure was not present.
The first-year cost was approximately $90,750, which included equipment, installation and subscription costs. The initial purchase was funded using Federal Forfeiture funds, which were no cost to the taxpayers. After the first year, future years’ cost is $76,000 per year with the fee covering support, and replacement of damaged and/or stolen cameras. Funds for the Flock cameras will be included in the Sheriff’s Office budget request, which is approved by the commissioners. Lexington Police Department and Thomasville Police Department operate additional Flock cameras within their respective jurisdictions.
HOW FLOCK CAMERAS WORK
Flock cameras are automated license plate recognition cameras generally positioned along public roadways. When a vehicle passes a camera, the system can capture information that is externally visible from the roadway, including the vehicle’s license plate, date and time, camera location and certain characteristics of the vehicle. Technology allows an authorized investigator to search available information when there is a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, such as attempting to locate a stolen vehicle, missing person or vehicle associated with a criminal investigation. The cameras are not facial-recognition cameras, nor do they collect data from your phones or electronic devices. They are designed to identify vehicles and license plates—not identify a person by his or her face.
When a Flock Safety camera captures a vehicle, the system records an image of the vehicle and its license plate. The Flock image itself does not provide the registered owner’s name, address, driver’s license information, or other personal identifying information associated with the license plate. If a deputy needs to determine the registered owner of a vehicle or obtain additional law-enforcement information associated with a license plate, the deputy must conduct a separate inquiry through authorized criminal justice information systems, such as the North Carolina Division of Criminal Information (DCI).
Access to DCI systems is restricted to properly authorized and trained criminal justice personnel. DCI operates within the North Carolina Department of Justice and provides authorized users access to state and federal criminal justice information systems, including information available through the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC). Personnel accessing these systems must complete required training and certification and comply with applicable state and federal rules governing the use and dissemination of criminal justice information.
Therefore, simply having access to Flock does not give a deputy unrestricted access to personal information about a vehicle’s registered owner. The Flock system provides the vehicle and license-plate image,obtaining protected registration or criminal justice information requires a separate, authorized law-enforcement database inquiry.
Flock Safety also represents that its law-enforcement technology is designed to comply with applicable FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy requirements. This provides additional security standards governing the handling and protection of criminal justice information. This distinction is important, Flock identifies the vehicle and license plate captured in a public area, DCI/NCIC systems are separately used by authorized personnel when law enforcement needs protected government information associated with that vehicle or plate.
A Flock camera alert also does not mean that the driver or occupant of a vehicle has committed a crime. It is an investigative lead. Deputies and Detectives remain responsible for evaluating the circumstances and determining whether additional lawful investigative action is appropriate.
FOURTH AMENDMENT AND EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office recognizes and respects the protections guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, constitutional privacy protections depend in a significant part upon whether an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy in the information being observed. A license plate is intentionally displayed on the exterior of a vehicle so that it can be observed by law enforcement and the public. Courts therefore generally have held that a motorist does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in a license plate that is plainly visible while the vehicle is traveling in public. There would be no difference from a citizen or deputy standing on the shoulder of a public street or highway, and taking a photograph of passing vehicles.
When a person operates a motor vehicle on a public highway, the vehicle’s license plate and exterior characteristics are knowingly exposed to public view. A license plate is required to be displayed where it can be observed by other motorists, pedestrians and law-enforcement officers.
A deputy standing beside a public roadway may lawfully observe a passing vehicle and read its license plate. Flock technology assists law enforcement by automating the collection of that type of publicly visible vehicle information.
This distinction is important. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office is not using Flock cameras to look inside private homes or other constitutionally protected private spaces. The cameras observe vehicles traveling in areas exposed to public view.
Current federal case law provides significant support for this distinction.
In January 2026, a federal court considering a constitutional challenge to Norfolk, Virginia’s extensive Flock camera network concluded that the operation of that system did not constitute a Fourth Amendment search under the circumstances presented in that case. The court emphasized established precedent that motorists generally do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the visible exterior portions of an automobile traveling on public roads.
So far, no court has definitively ruled that Flock cameras or automated license plate reading cameras are unconstitutional or outright illegal.
The law governing technology and privacy continues to develop, and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office will continue to follow applicable federal and State law. The Sheriff’s Office does not consider possession of this technology to provide unlimited surveillance authority. The Fourth Amendment continues to apply to law-enforcement activities, and information developed through Flock cameras does not eliminate legal requirements for search warrants when a warrant is otherwise required.
SAFEGUARDS AGAINST MISUSE
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office understands that concerns have been raised nationally regarding the potential misuse of automated license plate recognition systems.
Those concerns are precisely why accountability is important.
Access to the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office Flock system is restricted to authorized supervisors and detectives.
The system provides auditing capabilities that allow searches and use of the technology to be reviewed. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office has reviewed its use of the system, and agency audits have not identified misuse of Flock cameras by Davidson County Sheriff’s Office personnel.
The Sheriff’s Office will continue to monitor the system and hold employees accountable for compliance with agency policy, audits and applicable law.
Technology should never be used simply because it is available. It should be used when it serves a legitimate public-safety purpose, is consistent with the law and provides meaningful benefits to the citizens being served.
In North Carolina, if a law enforcement officer misuses a Flock camera or license plate reader system is in violation of North Carolina General Statute 20-183.33, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor and accessing government computer for unauthorized use is in violation of North Carolina General Statute 14-454.1, which is a Class F Felony.
Any employee at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office who misuses a Flock camera will be terminated and criminally charged. “This will not be tolerated at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office,” accordingly to Sheriff Simmons.
A TOOL THAT HAS ALREADY PROVEN ITS VALUE
For the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, Flock cameras are not theoretical. The technology has already provided valuable assistance in actual investigations.
The cameras have assisted investigators with locating vehicles and suspects, drug smugglers which resulted in large amounts of controlled substances being seized, recovering stolen property, locating missing persons, apprehending dangerous violent suspects who are wanted, developing leads and investigating serious crimes.
Our agency has located two people who were wanted for murder in other jurisdictions in Davidson County and the use of the Flock cameras helped lead to arrests on multiple murder and drug investigations in Davidson County.
In major investigations, a single vehicle observation may provide the information investigators need to determine where a suspect traveled, identify another jurisdiction that should be contacted or establish an important part of an investigative timeline.
Recent cases in Davidson County have demonstrated the importance of cooperation among local, State and federal law-enforcement agencies, particularly when violent offenders travel across county and State lines. Flock technology provides another resource that can assist investigators in making those connections more quickly.
Just recently, on August 13, 2026, detectives with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for sexually assaulting a four-year on child in Davidson County. The Flock cameras were used during the investigation.
On March 27, 2026, Roy Holloday was arrested for murder after the Flock camera alerted law enforcement the vehicle was in Davidson County. Holloway was wanted for murder in Dawson County, Georgia.
On August 12, 2026, a man in connection with a triple homicide investigation after three people were killed in Moore County, North Carolina was taken into custody. Sheriff Ronnie Fields credited Flock cameras for helping his agency to apprehend the suspect.
NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES FLOCK CAMERAS FOR STATE USE
North Carolina itself has recognized ALPR technology as a legitimate law-enforcement tool, first establishing an SBI-administered pilot program and, after reviewing the program, enacting permanent statutory authority in the 2026 state budget for SBI and NCDOT to facilitate ALPR systems on state rights-of-way, including systems used by participating local law-enforcement agencies. The law also establishes oversight. Each participating law-enforcement agency must provide information to SBI, and SBI must report annually to the General Assembly, including the agency’s ALPR policy, the number of requests for captured data, and the number of cameras in its system.
One distinction is important, the budget did not simply appropriate a pot of money labeled “Flock cameras.” Rather, the 2026 budget made the SBI/NCDOT ALPR program a permanent statutory program. The statute uses the technology-neutral term “automatic license plate reader systems,” rather than naming Flock Safety specifically.
North Carolina law defines an ALPR as automated high-speed cameras combined with computer algorithms that convert license-plate images into computer-readable data.
Following the implementation and evaluation of that program, the North Carolina General Assembly took additional action in the 2026 Appropriations Act, Senate Bill 257, Session Law 2026-41.
Section 43.26 established N.C.G.S. § 20-183.34, providing permanent statutory authority for NCDOT to enter into agreements with the SBI concerning the placement and operation of ALPR systems within NCDOT-owned rights-of-way.
The 2026 State Budget which established permanent statutory authority for the North Carolina State Bureau and North Carolina Department of Transportation permanent statutory authority for the automatic license plate reader program received bipartisan approval in both the State House and Senate and was signed by Governor Stein, on July 7, 2026. Davidson County House Representatives, Larry Potts and Sam Watford, and Davidson-Davie County State Senator Steve Jarvis voted for the automatic license plate reader program in this year’s State budget.
At this time, there are more than 130 North Carolina Law Enforcement agencies using Flock cameras. As of 2026, Flock Safety reports its technology is used by more than 5000 law enforcement agencies in the United States. At this time Walmart, Lowes Hardware and Home Depot uses license plate readers for security, theft-fraud prevention and safety.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office believes public safety and constitutional rights are not competing responsibilities. Law enforcement has an obligation to protect both. Flock cameras provide the Sheriff’s Office with a modern investigative tool capable of helping locate dangerous offenders, missing persons and stolen property while operating within constitutional limitations. The program was presented to the Davidson County Board of Commissioners in a public meeting, subsequently approved unanimously by the Board and initially funded through Federal Forfeiture funds.
Access within the Sheriff’s Office is restricted, system activity is subject to audit, and the agency has not identified misuse of the technology through its audits. Only supervisors and detectives have access to the Flock cameras in the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
All personnel who has access to the Flock cameras at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office has been provided training before gaining access to the system, and the Sheriff’s Office has a policy for the Flock Program.
“Criminals do not stop at city, county or state lines, and law enforcement must have the ability to investigate crimes efficiently across those same boundaries,” Sheriff Richie Simmons said. “Flock cameras are one tool that helps our deputies and detectives develop leads and locate vehicles associated with serious crimes. They do not replace good police work, and they do not replace the Constitution. Our responsibility is to use this technology lawfully, responsibly and with appropriate oversight while protecting the citizens of Davidson County.”
The Davidson County Commissioners are set to vote on keeping or doing away with the Flock Camera Program in Davidson County, on August 24, 2026.
“This will remove a very important tool from the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office if the Commissioners vote to remove the Flock Camera Program that could aid our agency in locating a missing child, person or violent criminal. I would be very disappointed in our commissioners, if they decide to remove this valuable resource from our agency,” said Sheriff Simmons.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office will continue to evaluate emerging technology and utilize lawful resources that enhance the agency’s ability to prevent crime, solve crimes, locate missing persons, apprehend dangerous offenders and make Davidson County a better and safer place.
