Resident urges council to reconsider Flock Safety contract, citing privacy and security concerns

Anna Shelton, a Garner resident, used the petitions and comments period on June 16 to urge council scrutiny of the Garner Police Department’s proposed contract with camera vendor Flock Safety and to raise concerns about privacy, audit logs and data security.

Shelton summarized the company’s operation as a network of license‑plate‑reading cameras that photograph passing vehicles and log plate numbers and vehicle characteristics. “These cameras watch traffic and take pictures of your vehicle every single time you drive past, logging your license plate and other identifying features about your car, effectively tracking all your movements,” she said.

Shelton asked why Garner would consider a multi‑year contract she said is for $449,375 that extends into 2028 and questioned whether the funds would be better spent on hiring or training officers. She also cited reported incidents in other jurisdictions where Flock employees accessed footage inappropriately and said she had learned some audit records were later removed from the vendor’s system.

The council acknowledged the comment and thanked Shelton for her input. Council members did not act on the contract at the meeting; staff and council have previously discussed audit and contract provisions as part of procurement and public‑safety planning.

Why it matters: The choice to purchase private license‑plate reader systems raises privacy and public‑access questions and often triggers public debate about surveillance policy, data retention and vendor controls.

What happens next: Shelton offered to leave literature with the town. Any contract action would proceed through the department procurement process and any council consideration in future agenda items.