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Resident calls Aberdeen's use of automated license‑plate readers a constitutional risk
Summary
A resident told the board Aberdeen’s 'Flock' automated license‑plate cameras undermine Fourth Amendment privacy protections, citing a nearby wrongful‑arrest settlement and urging cancellation of the contract; the police chief was not present and staff offered to follow up with chief for a technical response.
Andy Lawrence told the Aberdeen Town Board during public comment on June 22 that the town’s deployment of automated license‑plate readers (ALPRs) by vendor Flock represents a constitutional overreach and a privacy risk.
Lawrence asserted that continuous vehicle tracking treats “every driver in Moore County as a suspect until proven innocent,” said courts have required warrants for comparable location tracking, and warned of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and costly errors. He cited a local example — a wrongful arrest in a nearby jurisdiction he identified as resulting in a roughly $70,000 settlement — and noted that more than 60 U.S. cities have canceled Flock contracts, urging Aberdeen to do the same.
Mayor and staff acknowledged the comment and said the police chief was not at the meeting; staff invited Lawrence to follow up with the chief for technical information and to request additional meetings if desired. No board action was taken at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to make the police chief available for a follow‑up discussion.
The transcript records Lawrence’s claim and the town’s offer to schedule staff follow‑up. The board did not debate or vote on changing any contracts at the June 22 meeting.
