Young County accepts state grant to install Flock vehicle‑camera network, will partner with Graham and Albany

The Young County Commissioners voted 5-0 to accept a Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant to install a countywide Flock vehicle‑camera system and to partner with the cities of Graham and Albany on the program.

County officials told the commission the cameras would be used strictly for investigative purposes tied to motor vehicle crime prevention and that the system would provide shared camera access across participating jurisdictions. Chief Rudy, who discussed the technology with commission staff, said the Flock network can allow Young County to access adjacent counties’ camera feeds for inbound and outbound vehicle detection.

The project as presented would use Senate Bill 22 funds to cover Young County’s share, and officials said they expect to develop an interlocal agreement among the county and the cities of Graham and Albany to govern cost‑sharing and operations. A county official said the county would likely pay initial costs and bill participating cities for their portions for later reimbursement.

Supporters said the system has helped neighboring jurisdictions locate stolen vehicles. A staff member noted that Jack County, which has a partial Flock installation, has had multiple stolen vehicles located after the system was put in place.

Several attendees raised privacy concerns during discussion, saying some residents worry about being constantly monitored in town. Officials acknowledged the concern and said the cameras would be used for vehicle investigations, but they did not provide a written privacy policy during the meeting. Presenters also said Flock is in high demand, which has delayed installations in some counties.

The commission approved the grant and partnership motion unanimously. Commissioners directed staff to prepare the required compliance reporting and to draft the analytic/interlocal agreement among Young County, the City of Graham and the City of Albany.

Votes at a glance

- Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant to install Flock cameras and partner with the cities of Graham and Albany: approved 5-0.

- Ratification of the interlocal agreement covering bond supervision among Young County, the City of Graham, the City of Albany, Stephens County and the City of Red Ridge: approved 5-0 (motion by Commissioner Riley; second by Commissioner Cresswell).

- Acceptance of Republican and Democratic election clerks and judges lists for fiscal year 2026 (Republican list: 21 names; Democratic list: 13 names): approved 5-0 (motion by Commissioner Creston; second by Commissioner Schutt).

- Burn restrictions: commissioners left the current burn ban in place; no change to the burn ban was adopted.

The meeting moved into a budget workshop after the listed agenda items; staff described the materials as a nonfinal draft of what a final budget might look like.