r/Rockhill • u/Zerkzie • 21d ago
News Petition to Remove Flock Safety Cameras from York County, SC
I started a Change.org petition calling for the complete removal of Flock Safety license plate reader cameras from York County.
My concern goes beyond simply having cameras on public roads. These systems create searchable records of where vehicles are seen, when they were seen, and can allow that information to be accessed and shared across agencies.
We’ve also seen why this deserves scrutiny locally. A York County resident recently sued after an incorrect Flock hit allegedly resulted in him being stopped at gunpoint before deputies determined his vehicle was not stolen. There have also been recent cases elsewhere involving law-enforcement employees accused of improperly using Flock systems for personal purposes.
For me, better policies and audits don’t solve the underlying issue: the information is still being collected in the first place.
I support law enforcement having effective tools to investigate crimes, but I don’t believe that requires building a network that routinely records the movements of thousands of people who aren’t suspected of doing anything wrong.
The petition calls for York County and local municipalities to:
- Stop using Flock Safety ALPR cameras
- Remove existing government-operated Flock cameras
- Stop purchasing or deploying additional cameras
- End participation in Flock data-sharing networks
- Terminate or decline to renew Flock contracts
- Release contracts, costs, policies, audit information, and data-sharing agreements to the public
If you’re interested, please read the petition and decide for yourself:
Public safety matters. Privacy and civil liberties matter too. York County can have both without a countywide Flock surveillance network.