ERWIN, NC — The debate over Flock surveillance cameras is heating up in Harnett County, where residents and law enforcement disagree over how much privacy should be traded for public safety.
In Erwin, 11 cameras now watch main entrances and busy intersections, quietly scanning passing vehicles and feeding police alerts when a car is linked to a stolen vehicle, wanted tag, or missing person case.
Residents say the cameras feel intrusive in a small town
Some residents say the system goes too far for a rural community. Mary Henkes said the reaction in a local Facebook group was immediate and strong when the cameras were discussed publicly.
Henkes, who has lived in Erwin for 21 years, said she can understand using the cameras in limited locations but does not see the need for them on country roads.
Nashia Ray raised a similar concern, saying one of the cameras is close to her children’s daycare and should be removed or at least not expanded further.
Police say a small department needs more tools to work cases
Erwin Police Chief Jonathan Johnson said the cameras help a department with only 11 officers do more with limited resources. He said the agency has strict policies and reviews camera use every week.
Johnson also said Flock’s system keeps track of every search, and that suspicious repeated plate checks can trigger internal review. He argued that the technology gives officers another way to serve the public.
Flock says the cameras capture still images and keep audit trails
Flock Safety says its license plate readers do not record video and do not use facial recognition. The company says the cameras capture still images of vehicles in public view and that agencies control access to the data.
According to the company, searches require a documented reason, each search creates a permanent audit trail, and data is deleted after 30 days by default unless an agency sets a different retention period allowed by law and policy.
Flock also says its systems do not sell data and that sharing settings are controlled by each customer through the platform.
Town says the cameras helped identify a suspect and a new meeting is set
Each camera costs $3,500 a year, bringing Erwin’s total investment to $38,500. Johnson said the system helped officers last year by matching Flock data with home surveillance footage, tracking a vehicle into town limits, and leading to an arrest.
The issue is not settling down yet. Harnett County has announced another discussion of the cameras, with a special called meeting scheduled for Monday, Aug. 17, at 4 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Moore County Senior Enrichment Center in West End.
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