Amid national debate, Catawba pulls Flock cameras because of price tag

CATAWBA, N.C. — Flock license plate readers will come down in Catawba in the next few weeks.

The town of Catawba has a population of about 700 people and got the cameras on a trial basis, but leaders believe the money could be better spent elsewhere.

You can still see the cameras near the elementary school and the fire department. One even sits in downtown Catawba. But one business owner told Channel 9’s Dave Faherty that he never liked the idea.

“Getting into our privacy. Getting into our business. The government is always in it enough, so we don’t need something else added to it,” the business owner said.

But leaders say the decision to remove the Flock cameras wasn’t a privacy issue. Instead, it was the $20,000 price tag. Leaders decided to spend that money on new Tasers and radios for the police department, a department with only two full-time officers and six part-time positions.

“It wasn’t anything we wanted or didn’t want. It was really a financial piece for the budget process. We had higher priorities, and the Flock cameras didn’t make that priority list,” said Daniel Hipps, Catawba town manager.

Police say they were only able to use the cameras in a handful of cases in town.

The owners of one boutique store support the town’s decision.

“I see the pros and cons of both. I do, too — having them and not having them. But at the same time, we have officials for a reason,” said Ida Marlowe, owner of Dolly and Monroe Boutique.

Others believe license plate readers are a good way to solve crimes even in small towns.

“I don’t really mind because I’m not out here causing trouble or doing crime,” said Connor Jones.

The majority of the people Faherty spoke with really didn’t have an opinion on the cameras being removed.

The town says it doesn’t have a lot of crime. It’s been nine years since the last murder.

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