Barry Harris, a beekeeper from Wilmington, North Carolina, delivered a three-minute speech opposing Flock Safety surveillance cameras at a New Hanover County Commissioners meeting earlier in August 2026. Harris emphasized the bipartisan nature of the backlash against Flock cameras, stating, “There’s gays, straights, young, old, liberals, way-left liberals, Genghis Khan conservatives to the right here.”

The meeting, held on August 17, 2026, featured 41 locals speaking in protest of New Hanover County’s contract with Flock and the operation of 19 Flock cameras by the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office. Dozens of protesters also gathered outside the county courthouse holding anti-Flock signs.

Harris compared the U.S. surveillance network to that of the United Kingdom, which has one of the largest electronic and physical surveillance systems among Western democracies. He argued that Flock cameras are “not a winning issue” for local politicians.

Flock Safety’s cameras and automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are widely deployed across the U.S. Supporters claim they are vital tools for fighting crime, while critics warn of potential government overreach and constitutional rights violations.

Earlier in August, Flock Safety founder and CEO Garret Langley announced new privacy and transparency safeguards following reports that police officers used the Flock data system to spy on and stalk innocent people, including ex-partners.

“I’m sitting there thinking, ‘I really don’t want to hear this; this guy’s going to cancel my vote out.’ After about 30 minutes, I looked at him and said, ‘What do you think about the Flock cameras?’ He said, ‘I hate ‘em,’” one attendee recalled.

Sources