April 22, 2026 [last updated May 24, 2025]
[Scroll to the bottom for the Yancey petition]
LET THE PUBLIC DECIDE ON FLOCK SURVEILLANCE IN MITCHELL COUNTY
Mitchell County has begun installing Flock automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras without prior public discussion.
Flock Safety is a private, for-profit company that installs AI-driven cameras to track vehicles and collect data on people’s movements. That data is stored in a searchable system and accessed through paid subscriptions by law enforcement agencies.
This means Mitchell County is using public resources to participate in a growing network of mass surveillance operated by a private company.
BEFORE EXPANDING THIS SYSTEM, RESIDENTS DESERVE CLEAR ANSWERS:
- Why were these cameras installed without a real public discussion?
- What will this system cost Mitchell County taxpayers now and in the future?
- Who has access to this data, and how is it shared or used?
- What oversight exists to prevent misuse or abuse?
- What happens when the technology is wrong or gets used in ways the public never agreed to?
Even if current leadership can be trusted, what about the next sheriff or outside agencies?
When new surveillance technology enters our daily lives, the public deserves a chance to decide whether we want it at all before it becomes normalized and permanent.
WE ARE CALLING ON MITCHELL COUNTY OFFICIALS TO:
- Pause further installation of Flock cameras
- Hold a public hearing before any further expansion
- Disclose all costs, contracts, and data policies
- Establish clear public oversight and accountability
WHY THIS MATTERS
This is about whether a private, AI-driven surveillance system becomes part of daily life in Mitchell County without the public ever being asked.
People who live here should have a say before something like this becomes normal and permanent – especially when it involves public resources, personal data, and long-term decisions about how our community is governed.
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
- https://www.madisonforprivacy.org Comprehensive list of abuses from flock data and methods used to fight Flock in Madison county NC.
- https://eyesoffeugene.org/ Similar efforts in Oregon
- https://github.com/kansas-watch/alpr-abuse-library Comprehensive documentation on the abuses that have been enabled by Flock data.
- https://deflock.org/map#map=11/35.968291/-82.085374 Want to see where the cameras are in our area? Look here.
- https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/flock-camera-surveillance-activism/ These AI-Powered Surveillance Cameras Are Everywhere—and People Have Had Enough
- https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/fbi-seeks-us-wide-access-to-license-plate-cameras-wants-data-in-near-real-time/
- https://www.banderabulletin.com/article/3093,council-votes-to-terminate-flock-safety-contract
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/why-more-cities-are-suddenly-pulling-the-plug-on-flock-safety-cameras/ar-AA1WL8px
- Inside the Debate Over License Plate Tracking in NC | State Lines Special
- https://www.investigatetv.com/2026/05/18/flock-safety-cameras-help-solve-crimes-whos-watching-watchers/
- https://www.cleveland.com/community/2026/05/shaker-council-gets-update-on-new-flock-data-blocks-for-immigration-searches.html
Download the petition signature page (below), sign and send to [email protected]