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Public commenters call on Asheville City to pause Flock, Axon camera and LPR contracts; police say data not shared with ICE
Summary
Residents told the Public Safety Committee on Nov. 20 that automated license-plate readers and community cameras risk exposing immigrant communities to federal enforcement and urged immediate contract cancellations; APD leadership responded that the department does not share LPR data with ICE and limits use to active criminal investigations.
Multiple callers urged Asheville City’s Public Safety Committee on Nov. 20 to cancel city contracts with vendors of community cameras and automated license-plate readers (LPRs), saying such systems have been used by federal immigration authorities elsewhere and put vulnerable residents at risk.
“I’m calling in light of the confirmed ICE and Border Patrol presence in our state and the impending threat of arrival in our city,” said Emily Peel, identifying herself as a deputy registered DEEP working in Buncombe County, and asked the committee to “cancel our current contracts with the SLOC and Axon QFIS automated license plate readers.”
Why it matters: Public commenters argued that permissive vendor data‑sharing practices can allow local camera or LPR feeds to be accessed by outside agencies and that even contractual promises not to share have been broken elsewhere. Patrick Conan, a West Asheville resident, cited reporting that vendor disclosures and prior incidents indicate some companies have shared data with federal government actors in the past, and he urged the city to “pause any data sharing agreement so that proper oversight and further review” can occur.
City response: Vice Mayor Antoinette Mosley asked directly whether Asheville shares LPR or camera data with ICE. Chief Mike Lamb answered, “We do not. We do not share any of our data with any federal agencies, and that includes ICE, Homeland Security, and Customs Border Protection.” City Attorney Brad Branham added that APD’s use of its license‑plate program is limited to active criminal investigations, which are generally exempt from public‑records release, and that the department has no current agreements to share data with federal immigration agencies.
What’s next: Committee members did not take immediate formal action at the Nov. 20 meeting. Public commenters asked the committee to revisit and cancel contracts; staff and council members said they would consider the concerns, and the city attorney and APD described existing limits on data sharing and public‑records access for active investigations.
Reporting note: The committee’s public comment period included multiple callers who named vendor Flock (and variations transcribed as “Flock” or “fuse”) and referenced Axon and Axon QFIS. The city’s staff and attorney repeatedly stated that the department is not currently sharing LPR or camera data with federal immigration agencies.
