Composite story
Oconee County bans Flock license-plate cameras
Walhalla, South CarolinaPublished 21 Sep 2026
Oconee County Council passed a Protection from Mass Surveillance ordinance on Sept. 15, becoming South Carolina’s first county to defund Flock ALPRs and bar them from county property.
Oconee County Council passed the third and final reading of a Protection from Mass Surveillance ordinance on Sept. 15, 2026, in Walhalla. The measure bars county money, property, and personnel from supporting Flock-style automated license-plate readers. Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said his office operates five cameras and will stop using them. Councilman John Elliott was the lone opponent on earlier readings; outlets disagree on whether the final vote was 4-1 or unanimous.
Disputed opinions
None yet.
Oconee County Council passes ban of Flock cameras countywide
Published 15 Sep 2026 accessed 21 Sep 2026
Facts
The vote was Tuesday night.
Council heard for the first time from a crime victim who credits Flock cameras with saving her life.
Council heard from residents opposed to the cameras.
The meeting lasted around four hours.
There has been misuse of Flock cameras across the Upstate.
Crenshaw said the cameras have changed how fast his office solves cases.
One of the sheriff’s cameras has already been vandalized.
The victim said the person was caught the same day because the Flock system was running.
The victim said she fought for her life that day.
Opinion
The victim said she would be living in a lot more fear had the Flock system not been in place.
Oconee County becomes SC's first to ban ALPR cameras
Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 21 Sep 2026
Facts
The county has funded five cameras since 2022.
South Carolina Public Radio said the ordinance has no sway over ALPRs used by municipal police departments.
The county held three public hearings on the cameras.
Walhalla also deploys ALPRs.
ALPRs are AI-driven cameras.
Opinion
No opinion marked.
"Flock No" Oconee Co. Council votes to ban mass surveillance
Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 21 Sep 2026
Facts
Council Chair Matt Durham spearheaded the anti-Flock movement.
Elliott represents District 1 in northern Oconee County.
Opinion
98.9 WORD called the vote a resounding “Flock No” to mass-surveillance cameras.
Oconee County bans use of Flock cameras
Published 16 Sep 2026 accessed 21 Sep 2026
Facts
Flock spokesperson Courtney Terlecki said the company does not use facial recognition and does not have it in development.
Terlecki said Flock does not know who is driving a car.
Terlecki said Flock announced a seven-day retention limit for new customers.
Flock said data is not stored for long periods unless it is part of an active investigation.
Terlecki said if the system detects possible misuse it locks out that user until an administrator can review.
Opinion
Terlecki said Flock believes privacy and public safety should be able to coexist.
SC county passes ban on Flock cameras in opposition to mass surveillance
Published 19 Aug 2026 accessed 21 Sep 2026
Facts
Citizens largely spoke in favor of the ban at a public hearing in Walhalla.
The public hearing was in Walhalla.
The cameras are networked with other agencies that use them across the country.
The cameras record license-plate numbers and body types of cars as they pass.
Crenshaw said deputies do not know who is passing the cameras unless a crime is committed.
Opinion
Councilman Thomas James said the question is not whether Flock can help solve crime.
Oconee County SC votes to defund Flock cameras amid backlash
Published 19 Aug 2026 accessed 21 Sep 2026
Facts
The photos are uploaded to a large database.
Law enforcement can use that data to track people’s movements or locate vehicles.
Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said he opposes the ordinance but understands the concern.
The ordinance targets not just ALPRs but any mass-surveillance tool.
Existing cameras would have to be disabled soon after the ordinance passes.
Durham said encouraging other counties is the goal.
Councilman Thomas James read from the Federalist Papers.
People spoke against ALPRs at the county’s July and August meetings.
Flock’s opponents have organized in Oconee County and elsewhere.
Valerie McCarthy is a leading Oconee advocate against ALPRs.
Opinion
James said government is made of sinful people and can easily be turned against you.
McCarthy said she wants a warrant required before law enforcement can access the cameras.
McCarthy said without strict limits the technology could be used to track people’s locations.
South Carolina County Escalates Fight Over Flock Cameras
Published 25 Aug 2026 accessed 21 Sep 2026
Facts
Leaders voted to pursue access to unredacted law-enforcement logs.
Sheriff Mike Crenshaw acknowledged an employee had been disciplined for misusing the license-plate system.
The proposal is named the Protection from Mass Surveillance Ordinance.
The targeted systems can compile or share searchable histories of people’s movements.
Crenshaw asked Attorney General Alan Wilson for guidance on releasing unredacted logs.
Crenshaw said the logs can contain a plate number or vehicle description, the suspected crime, and a case number.
Crenshaw’s concern is that council access could open active files, including juvenile or sexual-assault cases.
Councilman Don Mize asked whether the request could include municipal camera logs.
Crenshaw said he may provide redacted information or let council inspect records on site without copying them.
Crenshaw said his agency audits the system monthly.
Chairman Matthew Durham said council should at least ask for the municipal logs.
Crenshaw said Flock data available to the agency generally reaches back 30 days.
Crenshaw said that incident led him to drop progressive discipline for Flock misuse in favor of immediate termination.
Captains review searches and confirm the plate or vehicle is connected to the listed case.
If the link is unclear, the employee must file a supplemental report within three days.
Crenshaw said Flock alerts helped catch Darrel Scott Brooks after a 2024 kidnapping and attempted sexual assault of a Clemson student.
Crenshaw said prosecuting officers who misuse the technology could deter abuse.
Crenshaw said he is confident in the logs and the searches his office reviews.
Two former Greer police officers were terminated after an audit found allegedly false or misleading searches.
Former Mauldin officer Ellie Anna Hammond was accused of searching a former partner’s plate at least 166 times between March and July 2026.
Brooks was convicted and sentenced to consecutive life terms.
Colleton Sheriff Guerry “Buddy” Hill asked SLED to investigate possible criminal conduct.
A more extensive Flock-misuse case emerged in Colleton County after Oconee’s debate began.
Council controls the county’s money, property, contracts, and road rights-of-way.
In Colleton County the communications division now handles routine Flock searches.
In July, Flock cameras in Pageland were cut from their poles after the town bought 10 units.
The debate includes who can search, which agencies can access data, how searches are audited, and whether government should collect the information.
Authorities said a Flock pole on Highway 41 near Harper’s Ferry Road in the Mount Pleasant area was cut.
Destroying the cameras is illegal and carries consequences.
The proposal would still allow basic plate comparisons against a defined hot list.
Opinion
FITSNews said the fight has moved from a privacy debate into who can see how law enforcement uses the technology.
FITSNews said an audit works only if supervisors know what to look for and someone outside the agency can verify it.
Pageland police described the devices as important for stolen vehicles, wanted suspects, homicides, and hit-and-runs.