Houston County sheriff explains how Flock cameras work amid privacy concerns

Sheriff Matt Moulton says more than 100 license plate readers are already in use in Houston County and help investigators identify suspect vehicles.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) –Houston County is one of several Georgia counties using flock cameras to help law enforcement. Some residents are raising questions about what kind of information law enforcement is gathering. Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton says the cameras are license plate readers and are used to help investigators track suspect vehicles. 

The Houston County Sheriff’s Office has issued several statements urging the public to stop vandalizing local flock cameras, and Sheriff Moulton says the county may add more flock cameras in the future. 

“The flock cameras are stationary license plate readers, and they have cameras attached to them. When a vehicle passes by the camera, it takes a photograph of the rear of the vehicle to include the license plate number, and it stores that data on the server for 30 days,” said Moulton.  

More than 100 cameras already in place

Houston County already has more than 100 flock safety cameras in place. Sheriff Moulton says these are not speeding cameras but a tool to help law enforcement.  

“Where it comes into play with law enforcement is, if we get a call at three o’clock in the morning of shots fired, and another call that someone’s house has been shot up, our investigators can go in and check the flock cameras from that area and possibly identify a suspect vehicle,” said Moulton. 

Sheriff responds to privacy concerns

He says most people who don’t like the cameras feel that way because they’re concerned about privacy. 

“When you pull up the images on the computer from the server, you don’t see inside the vehicle. They don’t have facial recognition. That’s one of the comments I’ve seen a lot about. The cameras don’t follow you around. They’re stationary, in the ground on a pole, and when your vehicle passes it, it takes a photograph of the tag. And that’s all it does. That data is not shared with anyone other than law enforcement,” said Moulton. 

Sheriff Moulton says the cameras are here to stay because they fight crime. 

“And anything we can do that helps us solve crimes and protect our citizens were going to do,” said Moulton.