Flock cameras lead to ID of suspect in North Carolina motorcycle theft

Police in North Carolina are searching for a man suspected of stealing a motorcycle near a middle school. Authorities said they were able to identify the suspect through the use of Flock cameras.

The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies responded to the area of Woodington Middle School at around 11:20 pm on August 22 for a report of a stolen motorcycle. 

The office said that Flock cameras were used to determine that the suspect’s vehicle was from the Onslow County area, and coordination with that county’s sheriff’s office resulted in the driver being identified as Dejuan Smith of Jacksonville, North Carolina. A warrant for Smith’s arrest has been issued for Felony Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. 

The use of Flock cameras is facing increasing backlash across the nation, with multiple instances of cameras being vandalized or cut down being reported. Supporters of the cameras have said that the technology brings crucial evidence for arresting suspects, while critics say the cameras violate privacy and point to unauthorized usage of the system. 

In a recent interview with Fox News, Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley said that a “compromise” must be reached between privacy and safety. “When people talk about just one of these, privacy or safety, they're prioritizing the wrong thing, and what we have to prioritize as a country is compromise. How do we have our safety, and how do we balance privacy,” he said. 

Langley has also apologized for cases in which Flock’s technology was misused. The apology came after a Washington Post report found 46 cases in which officers improperly accessed Flock’s camera network, including to allegedly stalk women. 

After listening to one woman’s experience, Langley told CBS News, “I apologize. It kills me that she went through that.” He added, “Hindsight tends to be very clear. And I think, of course, we could have done more earlier, and we listen, and we learn, and we'll continue to move forward because until everyone has an equal level of safety in this country, we have work to do.”