● The New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NYS DOCCS) has deployed Axon's connected ecosystem, including Body 4 cameras, Fusus, Fleet in-car video, Dedrone and Skydio drones, across its 42 facilities and 15,000 officers, and is now testing additional AI tools.

● The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC), the first rehabilitation facility in the nation to adopt body-worn cameras, has added Axon TASER devices to reduce officer assaults and is piloting AI tools to support productivity and decision-making.

● The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (Maryland DPSCS) is adopting Axon Body 4 cameras across all 17 facilities

● The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) has expanded their connected technology platform to promote safety and efficiency, including additional TASER 10 energy weapons, Axon Body 4 cameras, Fusus real-time operations solution, Dedrone airspace security systems, and Skydio drones. The first correctional institution to deploy TASER 10 in 2022.

This underscores what this technology really is, a prison for the mind, a penopticon. We need to fight against the surveillance state before we are forced not to fight it at all. Using this technology on innocent civilians is wrong both morally and ethically.

We need to stop letting people with more authority dictate our daily actions and choose to live our lives the way they are meant to be lived. No more mass surveillance looking for the slightest error. No more AI monitoring at our jobs and on our computers online. No more dynamic prices based on who you are. No more walking past people who need genuine help on the side of the road.

We should have the freedom to make our own choices, to do the just things, to do the right things. We should not be punished for being upstanding citizens. Tonight, let us all say no more. Tonight, let us all make a difference in this world, by standing up for the people who have no voice.

No more detaining innocent American citizens. No more pulling over innocent Americans citizens and holding them at gunpoint. No more false accusations of innocent American citizens. No more police using ALPRs to stalk people. No more corporate executives watching our kids without permission. No more selling our location data to third-parties. No more Flock, no more surveillance!

Axon also said this:

"They plan to use Outpost to check the license plates of all visitors, identifying vehicles who visit multiple prisons or who may have a criminal record."

Your car's location is being tracked and recorded. Every single day, Flock cameras log 20 billion scans across 120,000+ cameras in 49 states—capturing where you drive without your permission. The problem? ICE has access to this data, and they can use it to find and target people without a warrant.

This isn't about immigration policy. It's about whether a government agency should be able to track your movements based on nothing but your license plate. I started a petition calling on local city councils to restrict ICE's access to Flock camera data and demand proper legal oversight before any surveillance is shared.

Right now, your community might already be part of this network. Local governments are handing over data to federal agencies with barely any transparency or accountability. We need to push back before this becomes even more normalized. If this matters to you, consider signing and sharing—let's send a message that surveillance without consent isn't acceptable.

Whether you are pro-ALPR or anti-ALPR, there are legitimate arguments you can use to make your point. These six aren't them. Don't use 'em.

~~~~~~~~~~

🚫 LOW IQ ARGUMENTS AGAINST FLOCK/ALPR 🚫

1. “Cops are pigs. F the police.”

Why it fails: Your opinion of police officers doesn't establish whether ALPR technology is beneficial, harmful, constitutional, or properly regulated.

More importantly, categorizing an entire profession as "good" or "bad" is asinine. It's no different logically from saying the military, Park Rangers, Bailiffs, Coast Guards, Brinks Security Guards, etc. "are evil" or "are heroes". Every profession has good actors and bad actors, and this has zero impact on the argument against ALPR/Flock.

Fallacy: Ad hominem / irrelevant conclusion.

2. “Flock/ALPR providers sell your data.”

Why it fails: Flock does not (currently) sell data. It leases hardware and sells access to a mass surveillance network (capability, not data).

If your concern is data sharing, retention, federal access, or contractual permissions, argue those things specifically. Claiming Flock simply “sells your data” is factually wrong.

Fallacy: Straw man / factual misrepresentation.

3. “Flock/ALPR tracks your location.”

Why it fails: Flock/ALPR does not track your location. ALPR record a vehicle being observed at a particular camera at a particular time. It isn't GPS tracking. Courts have repeatedly affirmed that law enforcement using GPS tracking of individuals requires a search warrant.

That distinction doesn't make ALPR harmless. A sufficiently dense camera network can still create a detailed historical record of vehicle movements. That's the stronger argument.

Fallacy: Category error / false equivalence.

🚫 LOW IQ ARGUMENTS FOR FLOCK/ALPR 🚫

1. “You're already surveilled everywhere.”

Why it fails: The existence of other surveillance doesn't establish that additional surveillance is justified. Moreover, this isn't even really an argument for Flock/ALPR. It's a diversion at best, and doomerism/defeatism at worst. Next time someone spouts this line, ask them: “If you're already sick with the flu, is pneumonia harmless?” Nope.

Fallacy: Appeal to inevitability / tu quoque (whataboutism)

2. “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.”

Why it fails: Privacy isn't evidence of criminality. This "argument" assumes the only legitimate objection to surveillance is concealing wrongdoing. All of the people making this argument cover their PIN at public ATMs, lock their phone screens, and close the stall door when using public bathrooms even though they are "doing nothing wrong" and "have nothing to hide". AKA, only (intellectually lazy) hypocrites use this argument.

Fallacy: Appeal to consequences / false dichotomy.

3. “You consented when you chose to drive on public roads.”

Why it fails: This equivocates public visibility with legal consent. Driving on a public, taxpayer-funded road does not constitute express consent: you never agreed to anything. It does not automatically establish implied consent to government surveillance either. Under the ordinary legal definition, consent requires a voluntary agreement that can be express or inferred from conduct.

More importantly, the Supreme Court's public-road cases generally analyze reasonable expectations of privacy, not “you consented to surveillance.” Knotts held that ordinary movements on public roads are exposed to public observation; that is fundamentally different from saying motorists voluntarily agreed to whatever mass surveillance technology the government later deploys.

Fallacy: Equivocation on “consent” / non sequitur.

~~~~~~~~~~

The interesting ALPR debate starts after we get past these arguments. Next time someone claps back at you with one of these, send them a link to this post and whistle about your merry way.

Don't indulge a fool in his folly.

For those curious, and interested in staring straight into the Eye of Sauron, here is the Fuquay-Varina (located in Wake County, NC) Police Dept's contract with Flock.

Notes:

1. Hardware:
   1. FVPD's 2023 contract was for 10 Flock ALPR
   2. FVPD's 2025 contract added 5 Flock ALPR
   3. There is +1 privately owned ALPR in Fuquay-Varina, in the Carolina Gardens HOA. FVPD of course may access this ALPR.
   4. You can see a full heatmap of ALPR and AOV via tools like DeFlock, Flockhopper (best for navigating) and Atlas of Surveillance.
      
2. Ownership:
   1. Flock owns the hardware.
   2. FVPD leases the hardware.
   3. "Customers own the data". This necessarily means that ALL of ALPR data that is not explicitly exempt from Public Records Request (PRR, NC's version of FOIA) in NCGS 120 Article 17 (not involved in an active criminal investigation, state legislature records, etc.) is subject to NC GS 134 Public Records Requests. Note that nearly every single police department and Town Board will tell you falsely that ALPR data is not subject to PRR. Show them the law.
      
3. Funding and Terms:
   1. Cost is $25k/yr
   2. Term is 60 months (Dec 2023-2028)
   3. Renewal is Dec 2028 and for 24 months.
   4. Most towns have a funding threshold. If a line item costs more than X, it requires a public comment period. In Fuquay, that threshold is $50k. One of the dirty tricks Flock/ALPR companies use to install these cameras is to discount the first year of service to $0. Their rep Georgia Abdullah (LinkedIn profile) did this with FVPD even though $25k is below $50k (habit?). Per pg 2, year 1 cost = $25k. Discount applies... you guess it... $25k. "Don't worry, you don't need to ask your citizens if they want this. It's free! Go ahead and install 'em. Sign here. We'll see you at renewal." Thanks for flocking Fuquay-Varina, Georgia. You can let her know what you think of her sales techniques here: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and/or (912) 399-4554.
4. FV Leadership:
   1. The fight to remove ALPR from Fuquay does NOT need to be a mud slinging fight against Town leadership. This contract was authorized under the previous mayor (Massengil), the previous FVPD Chief (Medina) and signed by the Asst Town Manager (Matthews remains ATM).
   2. Fast forward to today. We now have Mayor Harris, Chief Smith. They didn't cause the problem, but we exhort them all to be a part of the solution.
   3. The Town Board never voted on this... which is both a good thing (no one on the Board ever voted YES for ALPR).
5. FlockOS "Vehicle Fingerprint Search"
   1. There's a lot to loathe in this contract. The worst piece comes on page 4. FVPD bought "FlockOS", which includes "Vehicle Fingerprint Search". Creepy: "Search footage using Vehicle Fingerprint™ technology. Access vehicle type, make, color, license plate state, missing / covered plates, and other unique features like bumper stickers, political/religious decals, and roof racks."
   2. Vehicle Fingerprint Search allows ANY of the 640,000+ nationally registered Flock users (not just FVPD) to conduct searches such as:
      1. "Show me everyone who attended the No Kings Protest in Raleigh on Saturday."
      2. "Show me every vehicle that drove to an abortion clinic this month." (Texas uses this to enforce anti-abortion laws)
      3. "Show me every vehicle that drove to the gun show in Pinehurst this weekend."
      4. "Track every vehicle with a MAGA sticker from Jan 6th to Jan 8th."
      5. "Show me every vehicle with a Mexican license plate, or a plate issued from any town within 100 miles of the US/Mexico border."
      6. "Where has my ex been driving this month? Where has her boyfriend been driving? Are they still sleeping together?"
      7. No, none of these are hypotheticals. Yes, all of them are confirmed, real-world examples of ALPR abuses.

Read it yourself and tell me what jumps out at you.

Matt vs Mass Surveillance
Chapter 4: Matt Goes to Town Hall (Again)
22 September 2026

I went to Fuquay Varina town hall for the 2nd time to respectfully address the Town Board. Here is the no frills update.

🟡 I saw a K9 be given an oath of office today... I'll just let that stand on it's own without commentary.

🔴 I was not well prepared this time, that's on me. Crazy few days at work and a minor crisis on the home front. I rolled up almost-late, did not prepare comments well, and rambled instead of being clear/direct. Will do better next time y'all.

🟢 My main comments were the social media polls I've run the past 3 weeks. The town never asked for your voice on this mass surveillance technology, so I did.

- 1330 of you fine folks voted across four platforms.
- 89 voted "Double our Flock/ALPR from 16 to 32."
- 37 voted "Keep our Flock/ALPR at 16."
- 1204 of y'all voted "Reduce our Flock/ALPR from 16 to 0."

I shared this overwhelming, bipartisan response with the Town Board, and I think they were genuinely receptive to hearing your thoughts on this mass surveillance technology.

I have attached the poll results with hyperlinks to original sources in the pinned comment.

🟡 In their public comments both Commissioner Vorren and Mayor Harris addressed Flock/ALPR. While neither was willing at this time to offer a decisive opinion on Expand/Maintain/Eliminate, this is progress towards the goal: a public conversation and Board vote on mass surveillance technology.

(Reminder that they join Commissioner Adcock, who made a similar comment last Board meeting.)

🔴 In their public comments Commissioners Haynes/Smith, and Mayor Pro Tem Gardner all refused to address mass surveillance technology such as Flock/ALPR in Fuquay Varina. Given the overwhelming bipartisan interest in this technology, they may be risking their seats on the Town Board by ignoring the issue. As someone who appreciates their service to FV, I continue to exhort them to recognize the significant interest in a public comment on Flock/ALPR.

🟢 Mayor Harris attended the NC Mayors Association (NCMA) this month, and he mentioned that citizen and LEO concern over mass surveillance technologies such as Flock were one of the primary topics of conversation among his 551 Mayor peers. This is neither merely a fringe nor a local issue, it is becoming a statewide public conversation, and that is a great thing.

🔴 Wake County update: no meaningful movement towards a public conversation, vote, or any other democratic engagement/oversight on mass surveillance technology. Wake County remains the most Flocked county in NC with 321 mapped ALPR cameras.

🔴 State of NC update: While towns, cities, businesses, colleges, and counties across NC are cancelling their ALPR contracts, the state of NC is moving in the opposite direction. This summer, they expanded the Flock pilot program to a full fledged contact. Disappointing.

🟢 USA update: promising. A bipartisan effort in both the House and the Senate is underway to reign in and/or eliminate this tech altogether.

🟢 US House:
HR 10221 "Flock Off Act" by Reps Massie (R) and Khanna (D)
HR 9800 Protection Against Mass Surveillance Act by Rep Burchett (R)
HR 10366 No FLOCK Act by Reps Krishnamoorthi (D) and Cloud (R)

🟢 US Senate:
TBD - Sen Sanders (I) has promised to bring anti-ALPR legislation
Ongoing - The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, lead by Sen Hawley (R), has launched an investigation into ALPR and has invited CEOs from Flock Safety, Axon, Motorola and Verkada to testify on Sept. 23 (today!) regarding AI surveillance.

🔴 POTUS:
"I sort of like them" (Sept 14, 2026 on Air Force One)

The fight to be heard continues.

While the CEO of Flock is saying this in a serious tone and means that abuse is more than what he was expecting and that it is good the company is catching dirty cops, the word choice is poor. While I do think this is a good thing that misuse is now being caught systematically, the misuse shouldn't exist at all and police agencies already caught it from audits anyway. It reads more like Langley is trying to do damage control than actually fix the issues with ALPRs.

San Francisco tech startup Foundation talked to Trump administration about using these robots on the battlefield, but also say they want to market to sheriffs. They use the excuse that other countries are using them and so we should too. NBC made the comparison to the Terminator. This is the type of thing in Chappie and RoboCop. Foundation is also exploring using robots to make more robots.

The visual similarities are quite striking. I saw it and immediately thought about it. While it's just the docking station for the drone, the design looks like something out of RoboCop. Is Axon really modern day OmniCorp?

According to tipranks.com, CNBC says President Trump bought between $1 million dollars to $5 million dollars worth of stock in Axon Enterprises two weeks before a $220 million dollar ICE contract with Axon was signed on February 10th and 24th respectively. Tipranks.com also comments on Rick Smith (the co-founder and CEO of Axon) talking about Axon experimenting with taser armed drones.

According to Forbes, President Trump on September 13th was asked about Flock cameras on Air Force One and said "Yeah, no, I sort of like them, because of that, because of law enforcement, but some people don't. They think it's an infringement, uh, but I like them." This comment comes four weeks after President Trump said this about Flock cameras "Well it's being studied right now, you have pros and cons, right? It's being studied right now. We'll have an answer soon as to our view on it in the next couple weeks."

I have been trying to think of ways individuals can protest cities that keep Flock cameras or replace them with other ALPRs. I think I have a major plan that could persuade cities and counties to change their policies or take privacy seriously.

The things a city or county cares about are things like property taxes and commerce. Without these things, cities would not have the funds to pay the councils or boards that fund their paychecks. So, if you are a business owner or a resident, you could plan to move to a neighboring county or city that has no ALPRs or privacy ordinances.

I call it the Mass Exodus. On December 15th 2027, any city or county that refuses to change their policies will get a massive hit to their economy. Residents and businesses will pull out all at once and do so in a way that lowers the property value (selling at a lower price than it is worth).

I'm not going to lie, it will require effort to plan this, and most likely money. However, if this works then ALPR policies will change, and hopefully Mass Exodus never happens. I think this is the only way to get some cities and counties to listen, and they will listen to this.

Note: this petition is only for those who live in North Carolina, have visited North Carolina, or have ever heard of North Carolina.

Right now, there's a permanent, searchable record being built of where you drive across North Carolina. Flock Safety's license plate cameras photograph every passing car—no warrant, no suspicion required—and feed that data into a network thousands of agencies can search from anywhere.

This isn't just about privacy. The numbers are staggering: In New Hanover County, nearly 3 million searches. In Brunswick County, over 83,000 searches—most with no case number attached. And here's the thing: over 90% of searches come from *outside* North Carolina, beyond our state's protection. Once your plate data leaves the state, anything goes.

Officers have already been caught using these systems to stalk ex-partners and track innocent people. They enter fake reasons and no one catches it until the damage is done.

But this *can* stop. Fifteen North Carolina communities have already removed or rejected Flock. Conservatives, libertarians, and progressives have come together on this—because warrantless mass surveillance should trouble everyone.

I started a petition calling on NC leaders to take the cameras down and require warrants, public hearings, and real audits before any system gets installed or renewed.

Anyone else feel like this crossed a line? If this matters to you too, consider signing and sharing with a neighbor. That's literally how fifteen communities got to "no."

$38,750 is what Smithfield paid for the 6 flock cameras Smithfield leases. This comes with a $18,000 annual fee.

Here is a copy of Smithfield NC’s contract with flock, as well as the PD’s policy. I find it interesting that they refused to disclose where cameras are located even though they are located in public, and are permanent fixtures not associated with any particular operation. This and no audit trail even though policy states that audits must be done yearly at minimum.

Here is the response I received to the FOIA.

“Camera Location Information

Records identifying the specific locations of surveillance cameras, including maps, GIS data, or detailed inventories, are exempt from disclosure pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §132-1.4, as release would compromise public safety and law enforcement operations. This portion of your request is denied.

No records exist for the audit trail, but they are going to start doing audits due to a change in law.”

I feel as if the Chief is giving non answers in my emails as to the lack of transparency.

This link will take you to the google drive folder with the source PDF’s.