Apex, North Carolina, no longer shares its Flock camera data nationwide. MotorBiscuit reported that Police Chief Ryan Johansen made the change after checking the department's audit logs and finding that about 99% of searches of Apex data were not run by Apex police officers.
Apex is about a year into a pilot with eight Flock cameras. The department keeps captured data for seven days. Johansen told ABC11 Eyewitness News that the numbers shocked him.
Who can search Apex's Flock data now?
The report lays out the new limits:
- Sharing is limited to police and sheriff's offices in North Carolina and four surrounding states.
- Agencies outside that group need legal process to get access.
- Officers must log a reason, such as a case number, a warrant or a call-for-service number, before running a search.
- A repeat search of the same vehicle triggers an extra administrative review.
Johansen was direct about it: "We do not share nationwide anymore."
What changes for drivers in Apex?
The chief's decision governs how Apex shares data from its own eight cameras. With sharing narrowed, fewer outside agencies can pull that data. The report does not say when the limits took effect.
The decision does not reach cameras run by other agencies or businesses. The report does not address those cameras at all.
What doesn't change?
The report does not describe any change to where the eight cameras stand or what they capture.
Flock Safety is rolling out an Audit Assistance tool that flags suspicious searches for administrator review. The report says it will be required for all law enforcement customers by the end of 2026. Flock is also building a feature that would automatically suspend a user's access when abnormal activity is detected.
Nearby Raleigh runs a network of 29 cameras and keeps its data for a full month. Raleigh's police department told ABC11 that officers conduct regular audits and do not use the cameras for random surveillance.
What should residents ask their police?
A few questions worth bringing to your own department:
- How many outside agencies searched local plate data in the last audit period?
- Which agencies ran those searches?
- Does every search require a case number, and who reviews repeat searches?
- Is there a published audit log or transparency record you can read?
Check the camera map for cameras near you, look up published records on the agencies page, and read how plate readers work for background.
The next firm date in the report is the end-of-2026 deadline for Flock's audit tool to become required for law enforcement customers.