Residents urge transparency and limits on Flock AI cameras in Mitchell County

Residents pressed the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners on May 4 for clearer policies and public oversight of AI-driven vehicle-plate cameras operated on county roads.

Three speakers during the public-comment period — introduced as Michael Harris, Nia Charlton and Jeremy Wise — told commissioners that the cameras raise privacy, security and civil‑liberties risks and called for a county audit and written rules governing data access, retention and sharing. Jeremy Wise said, “The public should be able to see the contract, the cost, and understand how the system operates.”

Michael Harris highlighted known security and product concerns and said the platform “isn’t accountable to anyone except at best, their paying customers,” urging commissioners to require local oversight. Nia Charlton recounted a string of national examples she said illustrated misuse of automated camera systems and asked the board to examine how similar systems are used here.

Commissioners did not adopt any immediate policy change at the meeting. Chair and staff acknowledged the comments and said they would review the matter; Jared, the county manager, said he would educate himself and follow up. The speakers asked specifically for a publicly posted contract, a written policy defining who can access camera data and for how long it is retained, and an audit required by North Carolina statute of how local footage is used.

Next steps were left at the staff and board level: the public-comment period closed without a formal motion on camera policy, and commissioners moved on to other agenda items.