BIRMINGHAM — License plate readers, already a live issue in Lee County, have become a campaign issue statewide. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Doug Jones said Tuesday he is “troubled” by Alabama Power’s involvement with Flock Safety cameras and that the state needs to change how it handles the technology.
Jones raised the cameras alongside artificial intelligence and public safety at a Birmingham news conference. An Alabama Reflector and Inside Climate News investigation reported that Alabama Power has partnered with more than 80 local governments on camera installations, using its own poles and power supply.
The debate has a direct East Alabama angle: the Lee County Sheriff’s Office fired a deputy last month after an internal audit found the deputy misused Flock camera data, and Walker County has since become the first Alabama county to ban plate readers outright.
Alabama lawmakers have signaled they may take up limits on the state’s roughly 2,800 Flock cameras in the next session.
Source: al.com
Opelika Daily News — Thursday Report, Sept. 17, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
