York County Sheriff Tony Breeden is defending his agency’s use of Flock cameras following questions about how the technology is used and a lawsuit filed last month.
In a Facebook post, Breeden said the cameras are used to stop crime, not violate privacy.
“These things are only used to catch criminals in the act of committing the crime,” Breeden said. “Our main priority at the York County Sheriff’s Office is protect the county, and we’re going to use these tools to continue to protect the county. We do not have anybody that sits and watch real-time activity of where people are traveling and how people are traveling. It doesn’t affect citizens going about their day-to-day business. It only impacts a criminal in the act of committing a crime.”
In June, 42-year-old Steven Melvin of Lake Wylie sued the York County Sheriff’s Office, alleging a deputy held him at gunpoint after a Flock camera falsely flagged his vehicle as stolen.
Breeden said he has received numerous questions from the community and promised transparency about how the surveillance cameras are being used.
