Flock Cameras Around Jacksonville Have Residents Asking Questions
Those small cameras popping up along Jacksonville roads have caught the attention of local residents, but city officials say they don’t belong to the city.
A recent City of Jacksonville social media post about Flock Safety cameras drew hundreds of comments, with residents asking who owns the cameras, what they’re recording and who has access to the information they collect.
The answer isn’t quite as simple as “Jacksonville put up cameras.”
City Manager Josh Ray told WITN that the city doesn’t own or operate any Flock cameras. He said he’s aware of four locations in Jacksonville where the cameras are being used, including Lowe’s and the Jacksonville Mall.
What are Flock cameras?
Flock cameras are automated license plate readers.
Instead of simply recording continuous security footage, the systems are designed to identify vehicles passing the camera. Depending on the system, that can include a license plate along with characteristics such as the vehicle’s make, model and color.
The technology has become increasingly common around the country and is used by both law enforcement agencies and private property owners.
Flock cameras are often easy to miss. Many look like a relatively small black box mounted on a pole, frequently with a solar panel above it.
Jacksonville doesn’t require a permit
According to Ray, Jacksonville doesn’t currently regulate the cameras, and businesses aren’t required to obtain a city permit before installing one.
He compared them to other privately owned exterior security cameras, including residential doorbell cameras, which can also capture activity beyond the property where they’re installed.
That hasn’t stopped residents from raising questions about what happens to the information after a vehicle passes one.
The privacy debate isn’t just happening here
Jacksonville’s discussion comes as automated license plate readers face growing scrutiny nationwide.
Supporters point to their usefulness in locating stolen vehicles, finding missing people and identifying vehicles connected to crimes.
Critics are more concerned about the amount of vehicle-location information being collected and how that information can be searched or shared.
North Carolina does have laws governing automated license plate reader data collected by law enforcement. State law generally limits how long captured data can be retained and restricts access to legitimate law-enforcement purposes.
Privately operated cameras add another wrinkle to the discussion, particularly when data collected by a business can potentially become useful to police.
For now, the cameras around Jacksonville appear to be staying put.
Whether residents stop noticing them is another question.