Chatham County said no.
The Chatham County Board of Commissioners voted to cancel the county's Flock Safety contract.
County meeting minutes ↗Two victories for community privacy
We did it, Chatham!
The Town of Pittsboro and Chatham County both voted to end their contracts with Flock Safety. Neighbors spoke up, made signs, sent emails, attended meetings—and our local governments listened. That's worth celebrating.
COMMUNITY WIN
2 for 2.
April 20, 2026
Chatham County
cancels its Flock contract.
cancels its Flock contract.
May 11, 2026
Pittsboro votes to
end its Flock contract.
end its Flock contract.
THANK YOU, CHATHAM. Every conversation, every sign and every public comment mattered. ✳
The local campaign is complete
When people show up, things change.
Our campaign began with a simple belief: living in or visiting Chatham County shouldn't mean having everyday trips logged in a searchable surveillance network. This spring, our elected officials took action.
Pittsboro followed.
The Pittsboro Board of Commissioners voted to terminate the town's contract, exclude funding from the next budget and call for camera removal by July 1.
Read the local reporting ↗To everyone who helped: thank you.
To the residents who researched, organized, spoke at meetings, emailed officials, put signs in their yards and talked with neighbors: this happened because of you. And thank you to the commissioners who listened and voted to end these contracts. There is no longer a local cancellation campaign to sign up for here. We can enjoy this victory—and help others learn from it.
The next chapter
We won here. But the cameras are spreading across North Carolina.
The state has opened the door to a much wider network of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) on state-maintained road rights-of-way. Ending a town or county contract is a victory, but it doesn't end the wider debate over surveillance.
In July 2026, North Carolina made permanent a process for placing ALPRs in Department of Transportation rights-of-way through agreements involving the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Participating local and state law enforcement agencies request the locations and select and operate the systems, with NCDOT approval required for placements.
It isn't only about Flock. The SBI's final pilot report identifies Flock Safety, Leonardo/ELSAG and Motorola/Vigilant among the vendors used. The privacy question remains the same: should governments record the movements of people who aren't suspected of any crime?
35law enforcement agencies participating in the state-road ALPR pilot
176camera locations installed in DOT rights-of-way by 20 agencies
149additional locations in approval or awaiting installation
Figures are from the SBI's September 24, 2026 final report and describe status as of July 1, 2026, not a live total. Read the official SBI report (PDF) ↗
Our position hasn't changed: public safety matters, and so does the freedom to travel without creating a permanent, searchable history of ordinary life. The answer isn't to swap one surveillance-camera vendor for another. Communities deserve a real say in whether these systems are deployed at all.
Connect with your neighbors
The fight continues in communities across NC.
These independent local and statewide groups are researching ALPRs, publishing records and organizing in their own communities. If you're outside Chatham, start with a group near you.
Apex · Wake County
DeFlock Apex
Resident-led campaign documenting the Apex program, its records and council decisions.
Visit the group ↗ Raleigh · Wake CountyDeFlock Raleigh
Advocacy and research focused on license plate surveillance in the state capital.
Visit the group ↗ Wilmington · Cape FearDeFlockILM
Public records, regional organizing and resources for communities facing ALPR surveillance.
Visit the group ↗ Charlotte · Mecklenburg CountyAnti-Surveillance Coalition
A Charlotte coalition challenging the growth of mass-surveillance technology.
Visit the group ↗ Union CountyKeep Union County Private
Campaign information, contracts and local decisions across Union County towns.
Visit the group ↗ Surry CountySurry for Privacy
Residents seeking an end to county-operated Flock cameras, with records and a petition.
Visit the group ↗ Madison CountyMadison for Privacy
Community effort seeking answers, public records and accountability for ALPR use.
Visit the group ↗ Asheville · Western NCWNC Surveillance Watch
Research on contracts, camera networks, public meetings and decisions across the mountains.
Visit the group ↗ StatewideDeFlock NC
North Carolina-focused articles and organizing against ALPR mass surveillance.
Visit the group ↗Don't see your town? Browse DeFlockILM's North Carolina coalition directory ↗ or the national DeFlock local-groups directory ↗ to find more community efforts. These groups are independent; links are provided for information, not as a claim of formal affiliation.
Get informed
The facts and tools behind the fight.
Good organizing starts with documents that anyone can check.
North Carolina SBI's final ALPR pilot report ↗
Official September 2026 numbers, agency participation and program details (PDF).
The 2026 state ALPR legislation ↗
North Carolina General Assembly's summary of the DOT rights-of-way authorization.
ACLU: Get the Flock Out ↗
An organizing toolkit and background on how ALPR networks affect privacy.
DeFlock camera map ↗
Crowdsourced camera locations; reports may be incomplete or change over time.
Pass it on
Starting a campaign of your own?
Our local Flock contract campaigns have concluded, but we'd be happy to help others get started. If you need ideas for protest signs, sign designs or slogans, send us an email. What worked in Chatham might work in your community, too.
Reach the Chatham organizers
contact@PittsboroCameras.org
Tell us where you're organizing and what kind of sign help you need.