What the Flock Cameras on W. Georgia Rd and Hwy 101 Do (and Don't Do)
Two Flock Safety license plate reader cameras now stand on West Georgia Road and Highway 101. They do not issue tickets; they check plates against stolen-vehicle and law enforcement alerts. The Woodruff Times explains how they work and the privacy debate around them.
The Woodruff Times published an explainer on June 25, 2026 about the two Flock Safety cameras drivers may have noticed in Woodruff: one on West Georgia Road and one on Highway 101.
What they are: Flock cameras are Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR). They photograph passing vehicles and record the plate along with the make, model, color, date, time and location.
What they are not: They do not issue speeding tickets or citations and are not used for traffic enforcement.
How they are used: The system automatically checks each plate against databases of stolen vehicles and other law enforcement alerts. On a match, officers can be notified in real time. The stated purposes are finding stolen vehicles, identifying vehicles tied to criminal investigations, and helping locate missing or endangered people.
The debate: Supporters say the cameras give investigators useful leads and help solve crimes faster. Critics, including civil liberties groups, raise concerns about privacy, how long data is kept, and the ability to track the movements of law-abiding people, and call for stronger oversight and transparency.
At the state level: S.C. lawmakers have debated rules for the technology, including who can access the data, how long it can be stored, required agency policies, audits and limits on retention.
Read the full explainer at The Woodruff Times (link below).