CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you haven’t seen one, you’ve probably at least heard of the controversial camera system that snaps photos of license plates and shares a name with groups of birds: Flock.

An Atlanta-based company, Flock cameras have been touted by law enforcement officers for helping solve crimes like thefts and missing people.

They hang on poles, facing parking lots and private businesses as well as housing developments. An investigation published by the News & Observer in May 2024 found the majority of license plate readers in North Carolina were made by Flock Safety.

Despite praise from law enforcement, the cameras have come under scrutiny from citizens and elected officials. Many have raised concerns about surveillance issues and abuse by police. Some have vandalized the cameras.

Some groups, including DeFlock, crowdsource the sites of Flock cameras and map them out, give an overview of the technology, and track places where they’ve been removed or contracts have been terminated.

So why is it such a big deal? What do Flock cameras really do? Are they really surveillance? And how many are in Charlotte? Here is an overview of the security system at the center of the controversy.

What is Flock?

Flock Safety is the company that manufactures the automatic license plate reader — better known as ALPRs — cameras.

The cameras snap photos of license plates, “vehicle characteristics” and the time and location of when the vehicle drove by a camera, the company’s website said.

“That information helps agencies identify vehicles relevant to an investigation using Flock searches, alerts, and approved data sources they choose to enable, in accordance with their policies, local laws, and community values,” the website said.

Does it record my face?

The company says on its website that it does not track biometric data like faces or fingerprints. Only vehicle information.

However, ALPR cameras, including Flock cameras, have made errors when reading license plate numbers, leading to the wrongful arrest of dozens of people, according to the Institute for Justice. The institute is a nonprofit law firm focused on civil liberties cases, its website says.

A York County man is suing the county sheriff’s office after a Flock ALPR misread his license plate, leading to deputies pointing a gun in his face. The sheriff said an illegal tinted license plate cover obscured the camera.

Who operates the cameras?

It can vary. Not all Flock cameras are operated by law enforcement agencies. Some are around private businesses and housing developments.

DeFlock, which maps out the locations of Flock cameras, shows many near the University City area are operated by the UNC Charlotte campus and a Home Depot.

In south Charlotte, Flock cameras perfectly outline the borders of the SouthPark mall. While it does not say who operates the cameras in the area, it does show which direction the cameras are pointing: parking lots and business fronts.

Who has access?

That is determined by who owns and operates the camera, according to the Flock website. The company said only “users in approved roles” can access the company’s database.

It’s unclear how many have access at the Mooresville Police Department, but an officer used the database 31 times before being arrested, Police Chief Ron Campurciani previously said. The officer used the database 29 times to track her boyfriend’s ex-wife. At least 10 Mooresville police officers were investigated by the department for misuse, but details of the findings were limited.

What about CMPD?

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department does not own or operate any of the Flock cameras in Charlotte, the agency previously said. However, CMPD has an agreement with Flock to be able to access databases at other agencies.

A CMPD officer was arrested after being accused of using the Flock database to search the license plate of a person buying drugs from his friend in Boone to see if they were an undercover police officer.

How long is information stored?

Flock made changes to its data-retention period recently amid the wave of backlash. Data is now automatically deleted after seven days by default; previously, it was 30 days.

However, that seven-day period can be changed if it is “required by the customer or applicable law, or the customer preserves information as part of an authorized investigation.”

The company is now also requiring case codes for law-enforcement searches and mandatory auditing for unusual activity.

How many cameras are in Charlotte?

The current number of Flock cameras in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County was not immediately available. However, according to DeFlock, the majority of cameras in the region are made by Flock Safety.

There are at least several hundred ALPRs, including Flock cameras, in the region, according to DeFlock.

How much does Flock cost?

The Charlotte Observer requested agreements between local law enforcement agencies and Flock.

A review of those agreements found Union County signed a two-year agreement in December 2025 for 38 Falcon License Plate Reader Cameras, 14 Solar Condor Video Cameras, software for cameras and installation for cameras. That agreement will cost $288,100 in total, records showed.

In Cabarrus County, a two-year agreement with Flock signed in May 2025, will cost $77,250 in total. That included nine Falcon License Plate Reader Cameras, one long-range LPR and one Solar Condor Video Camera.

Lincoln County, which announced the installation of 30 Flock cameras in May 2025, signed a two-year agreement with the company. Those cameras will cost $199,500, in total, records showed.

Where is Flock being re-considered?

The N&O investigation found several contracts with North Carolina clients showed the cameras cost between $2,000 to $3,000 each annually. A conservative estimate found N.C. law enforcement agencies were spending upwards of $1.49 million on the devices every year.

Several towns and counties. Commissioners in Hillsborough, a town located roughly between Greensboro and Durham, canceled its contract in Oct. 2025 and had cameras removed.

Other municipalities, including Davidson County, are in the process of voting on the matter. Davidson County Commissioners will vote Monday evening on whether to renew its contract with the company.

In Franklin, officials asked citizens to stop sending threats over Flock cameras in the western NC town. Officials said the cameras can’t be removed because the town doesn’t have any or a contract with Flock, The Franklin Press reported.

Has my license plate been tracked?

Possibly. In many cases, there isn’t really a way to check. Some agencies, including the Monroe Police Department, have created websites, or “Flock Transparency Portals,” to be more forthcoming with residents.

The portal includes how long data is retained, how many vehicles have been tracked — currently 319,265 — and the number of LPRs. Monroe police have 12 cameras, according to the portal.

Other websites, such as “Have I Been Flocked?” allow people to search their license plate numbers to see if they’ve been captured by a Flock camera.

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