Waxhaw's police department is one of only four Charlotte-area agencies offering downloadable audit logs through its Flock Safety transparency portal, a WBTV investigation found.
The audit logs show the specific investigative reason an officer accessed the system and how many cameras were included in a search. The Hickory Police Department became about the 12th local agency to launch a public Flock Transparency Portal, WBTV reported, but only Waxhaw, the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, the Davidson Police Department and the Mint Hill Police Department publish the more detailed logs.
Other agencies with basic portals showing scanning and hit metrics include the Gastonia, Huntersville, Monroe, Mooresville, Mount Holly and Pineville police departments.
The distinction matters in Waxhaw, where the cameras remain a live issue. Resident Franklin Carrillo told the Waxhaw Board of Commissioners at its Sept. 8 meeting that the town should remove its Flock cameras and decline to renew its contract with the company. Carrillo suggested redirecting those funds toward police training, additional resources or taxpayer savings, according to meeting minutes.
Commissioner John Gemignani responded that a presentation on Flock cameras is scheduled for the board's work session on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall. Public comments will not be taken at that session, but residents can attend in person or watch via the town's livestream.
Waxhaw Police Chief Dexter Wilson has defended the department's five Flock cameras. "We have nothing to hide … We're not running your information for bad intentions," Wilson said in an Aug. 20 Queen City News report profiling the department's transparency portal during a national privacy campaign.
The debate reaches beyond Waxhaw. An August 2026 Washington Post investigation found more than 50 law enforcement officers nationwide had been accused, charged with, or convicted of misusing automated license plate readers, Fortune reported. The anti-surveillance group DeFlock said more than 90 cities had moved to cancel or reject Flock contracts as of late August.
Flock Safety has since reduced its default data retention window from 30 days to seven and now requires officers to enter a case code before accessing stored data, according to Fortune.
Some Charlotte-area towns have already canceled their Flock contracts, citing resident pushback or cost, WCNC reported Sept. 11. Flock CEO Garrett Langley said he wants regulators to increase penalties for officers who misuse the technology.
Waxhaw's board will take up the topic at its work session Tuesday. No vote is expected.
