New Hanover County cancels stationary ALPR contract

8 September 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]

On Tuesday, September 9, 2026, New Hanover County commissioners voted unanimously to cancel the portion of their Flock Safety contract covering stationary automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). The county had funded 20 stationary cameras, including three long-range models, under the agreement. The vote was 4-0, with one commissioner attending remotely. The decision excluded eight Solar Condor pan-tilt-zoom cameras mounted on mobile trailers, which operate separately from Flock's broader ALPR network.

The cancellation followed intense public testimony at an August commissioners' meeting where residents from across the political spectrum raised concerns about data access, potential officer misconduct, ongoing civil suits questioning the constitutionality of the cameras, and broader surveillance issues. Republican Vice-Chair Dane Scalise moved to end the stationary ALPR contract entirely, while Democratic Commissioner Rob Zapple initially suggested pausing the program to develop oversight guidelines. Sheriff Ed McMahon's office had operated the program. Commissioners noted recent examples of ALPR misuse in other jurisdictions and emphasized that legal safeguards around the technology remained insufficient to protect resident privacy.

Chairwoman LeAnn Pierce stated that commissioners had conducted extensive daily discussions with staff before acting, acknowledging the rapid pace of AI technology development and the government's obligation to implement protective measures. Commissioner Stephanie Walker highlighted community concerns about data location, access controls, and mass surveillance. Commissioners acknowledged that other ALPR systems operated by the State Highway Patrol or entities in other counties remained outside their jurisdiction.

Residents can monitor their own jurisdictions by requesting contract renewal dates from county commissioners, reviewing public meeting agendas for surveillance technology discussions, and filing records requests for ALPR data governance policies or incident reports involving camera system misuse.

Read the original reporting: WHQR.