The ACLU put out a report yesterday on where ALPR surveillance is actually heading, and it’s worth reading before Apex decides anything on Dec 3.

The finding: An automated fishing expedition!  Police are using AI and ALPRs to flag drivers whose travel patterns look “suspicious,” with no evidence of any crime. The system decides you’re suspicious first and then the officer goes looking for a minor traffic violation to justify the stop. In some documented cases, officers hid the real reason they pulled someone over.

In one case a woman was pulled over on a cross country road trip because a surveillance system flagged her movements after pulling her ALPR history of where she’d been driving. She hadn’t done anything. Her crime was driving somewhere an algorithm found ‘suspicious’.

The ACLU’s warning, “More and more people will be subject to police encounters as these AI algorithms inevitably sweep in far more innocent people than actual wrongdoers.”

So for y’all “if you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve got nothing to worry about” people, these systems don’t wait for you to do something wrong. They manufacture suspicion out of ordinary driving, where you go, when, how often, who your car is seen near, and then someone with a badge comes looking for a reason.

This is the same company whose cameras have been used by officers to stalk ex-partners, whose cameras were mapped after security researchers found them exposed, whose own cameras were physically cracked open to pull 1.6 million images off one device, that ran a fake “police department” to search live cameras by religion and politics, that structures its contracts to dodge competitive bidding, and whose exact kind of warrantless tracking a federal judge in Oklahoma just ruled unconstitutional. Flock markets the “suspicious pattern” AI that does all this as crime prevention.

Their response to all of this? Flock’s own CEO told a room of police chiefs that the opposition is fake, “anonymous bots,” Russian-driven, “not real.” Those of us at the meetings, filing records requests, and reading the contracts are, apparently, bots. That’s their answer.

Apex shares its ALPR data with ~1,180 agencies it can’t audit. Any one of them can run this kind of analysis on your movements and have an officer pull you over. The Public Safety Committee takes Flock back up December 3. This is what we’re being asked to keep funding.

Sources:

ACLU, “AI-Driven Police Stops” (Oct 26, 2026): https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/ai-driven-police-stops

404 Media, “It’s Not the Bots” (Flock CEO dismissing opposition as Russian bots, from leaked audio): https://www.404media.co/its-not-the-bots-flock/

Flock’s contracts are now the subject of national reporting (NBC News and InvestigateTV, October 2026) and a widely-viewed investigation by consumer-rights advocate Louis Rossmann, who argues the practices are systematic enough to warrant criminal prosecution and calls it racketeering.

The documented pattern: Flock contracts are repeatedly structured to avoid the competitive bidding and elected approval requirements that govern public spending. Agencies price deals just under approval thresholds (Knox County, TN at $24,990 under a $25,000 limit; Fort Lauderdale at $99,999.20 under $100,000; Anoka County, MN at $174,999 under $175,000).

Flock itself supplies the sole-source letters agencies use to skip competitive bidding, and in Prescott, AZ a Flock representative put it in writing: “Here is how we have managed to obtain sole source with other agencies.” Elsewhere, zero-dollar pilots convert to paid deployments with no vote, and payments get routed through a third-party reseller so the budget line never names Flock.

Apex fits the profile this describes. The Town’s records show the Flock contract (PO 2025-777, $71,750) was approved on the January 2025 consent agenda, the no-debate list, with no competitive bid or RFP (request for proposal) in the file. When a vendor is documented coaching governments nationwide on how to avoid competitive bidding, and a town’s contract with that vendor went through with no bid and no debate, that doesn’t seem like  a coincidence the Council should wave off.

Sources:

• Louis Rossmann, “Flock contracts systematically violate the law to avoid oversight: this must be prosecuted” (YouTube, Oct 24, 2026): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPh6l4XKcpw
• InvestigateTV / Cleveland19, “Flock cameras went up without some city councils’ approval” (Oct 12, 2026): https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/10/12/flock-cameras-went-up-without-some-city-councils-approval-we-found-out-why/
• Consumer Rights Wiki, “Flock Safety municipal contract threshold bypasses” (compiled contracts, emails, procurement-law citations): https://consumerrights.wiki/w/User:Louis/Flock_Safety_municipal_contract_threshold_bypasses
• Apex: PO 2025-777 (signed 2/1/2025) and the Jan 14, 2025 consent agenda, Town of Apex records.

Long shot, but I met a beautiful woman outside of Cardiacs a few months ago and owe her a Mimikyu card. Her nickname includes her name and Apple. I’d still love to meet you for coffee and give you my mimikyu card.

For any councilman who happens to be reading, the anti-flock partisans on this board are trying to create a false narrative around the technology. They're blocking anyone who posts in favor of the tech. This hides their posts and prevents comments from those of us who are in favor of APD's recommendations, giving a false impression that their views are unanimous. Not as despicable as their calls for acts of public vandalism, but still rather disingenuous. Again, it speaks to the character of those so vehemently opposing this technology.

Just a quick PSA if you’re driving through the Tour of Frights this year: On the “green route,” one of the locations is just “Downtown Apex Businesses”… so it’ll take you down Salem Street.

We went the other night and were confused why we were being lead downtown… there really wasn’t anything to see, aside from construction (spooky!) and a new road pattern due to said construction (scary!).

Aside from that, we love Tour of Frights! My kids look forward to it every year (even the moody middle schooler).

r/cary doesn't have one, we gotta beat them to it!

Hey all I originally posted this to my home subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/HollySpringsNC/comments/1xebkt9/i_started_a_british_chocolate_shop_this_year_and/ where I was offering free local delivery in Holly Springs. A lot of people posted asking about also delivering to Fuquay-Varina and Apex, so I decided I'll extend my delivery area.

I'm Richard. I grew up in York, England, and I've lived here in Holly Springs with my wife, two daughters and three cats, for 7 years now.

This year I started a small business selling proper British chocolate such as Cadbury made in Britain rather than the American version, Aero, Maltesers, Wispa, Flake, Lion and more. I love living in the US but I always miss the chocolate of my childhood. There are plenty of places to buy it but they usually have ridiculously high shipping costs or minimums before free shipping is even offered.

It's just me, by the way. I pack every order by hand at home.

Anyway, the reason I'm posting. I've added discounted local delivery for Apex (27539). Order on the site, choose local delivery at checkout, and I'll drop it at your house myself for $3. There's a $25 minimum order, but who buys just a couple of bars of British chocolate anyway? For orders over $50 I'll deliver for free.

If there's something you miss that I don't stock yet, let me know. Local requests go to the front of the list 😄

farthingandco.com

Looking forward to delivering some British chocolate to my fellow Apex neighbors!

US 64 between Laura Duncan Road and US 1 is one of the busiest stretches in Apex: more than 40,000 vehicles a day near Laura Duncan, and NCDOT counted nearly 800 crashes from 2012 to 2016, almost twice the statewide average for similar highways. NCDOT's plan widens US 64 to six lanes and builds interchanges at Laura Duncan Road and Lake Pine Drive, so both roads bridge over the highway.

At NCDOT's earlier public meetings, residents raised a clear concern: Apex High students crossing US 64 at Laura Duncan. NCDOT replaces sidewalks that exist today, but it won't fill the gaps unless the Town shares the cost. Apex's capital plan sets aside $2 million for sidewalks, multi-use paths and crossings along the corridor, plus $3.85 million to move Town water and sewer lines.

NCDOT holds a public meeting Wednesday, Nov. 18, 5 to 8 p.m. at the John M. Brown Community Center. Comments are open through Dec. 18 at us64-apex-cary@publicinput.com.

Hey everyone! I (31M, single) will be moving into my house in Apex very soon. I’ll be next to Beaver Creek, and I was super curious about all the fun stuff there is to check out in Apex. Would love to hear about everyone’s recommendations, especially if you’ve lived in Apex for a while.

Property taxes are in the news. Yes, this is about the amendment. No, this is not a video asking you to vote against it, although I think you should, the reality is it is certain to pass. Instead, I want to talk about what is actually driving property tax changes, because I think people are being misinformed about what the causes are, what the money is spent on, and what impact a levy limit will actually have.

This video charts every rate increase since 2016. Take out the 7.5 cents of bonds voters approved, and the roughly 6 cents for police, fire and 911, and everything else adds up to about 9 cents in eleven years. The bigger driver for most homeowners was revaluation: in 2024 homes rose 57% and commercial property 53%, so more of the bill shifted to homeowners. The levy limit on the November ballot caps the total, but that shift happens with the total held flat. My proposal - shouting into the void here - is to let residential and commercial rates adjust separately in revaluation years, each separately held to revenue-neutral, to revaluations alone don't shift tax burdens to home owners.

I made the motion that held last year's rate flat except for the bond, and the motion for this year's 1.75-cent increase, down from a 3.54-cent draft. Look up your own address at taxinfo.peaknewsnetwork.org.

All POS down without a known fix time.

(Update 10:54am EST) network back up!

Found roaming in backyard, came up meowing, very friendly! Is anyone missing a cat?! In Green Level area.

Is it permanently closed or temporarily closed? Looks like renovations maybe? I hope it’s not permanently closed!

Long shot! You were sitting next to me in the service waiting room and told me I was pretty as I was leaving. We exchanged first names. I was too caught off guard to say much, but I would love to chat. If this is you, send me a message!

For neighbors following local government across Western Wake: Cary skipped a national search Thursday and promoted longtime administrator Russ Overton. Here’s why council says he’s the person to lead the town through its post-Stegall reforms.

Read the story for free: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article317742256.html?giftCode=a77fd460c1a34f63b1823725e23c367f2eb8b6f91f8f5b7b1e0f0aacf6f78dff

Join a UNC research study on how people make decisions when shopping at a convenience store. Receive $280, made up of e-gift cards and items purchased, if you complete all study activities. The study lasts for 3 weeks and includes 4 in-person appointments in Chapel Hill, NC. Check if you qualify by taking a short screener at go.unc.edu/grocerystudy

Apex councilmember Ed Gray will host a forum on automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, on Thursday at 5 p.m., WRAL reports. Flock is the most well-known ALPR. Councilmember Gray and town staff will answer questions, and no formal presentation is planned. 

According to the news this event has been scheduled for tomorrow. Is anyone planning on attending? I can't tell what the actual idea is behind holding this.

Thoughts?

https://transparency.flocksafety.com/apex-nc-pd

Apex PD has a public Flock “transparency portal.” It opens with this line:

“Apex NC PD uses Flock Safety technology to capture objective evidence without compromising on individual privacy.”

Then the same page lists everything it does to compromise the privacy of your data.

Straight from the portal (last 30 days, as of Oct 20):

• 8 cameras
• 275,411 unique vehicles detected
• 149 searches
• 268 hotlist hits
• 7-day retention

Scroll down and the page lists the agencies Apex shares your data with:

About 1,180 organizations.

Eleven hundred and eighty. The Chief stood in front of the council and called this “not a huge, expansive network.” His own page lists ~1,180 agencies getting Apex plate data, most of them in other states, plus a second, even longer, list, of agencies feeding data back in.

Then worse. The Chief told the council, word for word, “We do not share with federal entities, hard stop. We don’t share with the FBI, DHS, ICE.” He said the federal agencies that got in by mistake were canceled.

The portal, today, still lists four federal agencies as connected nodes in Apex’s network, including Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the exact one he said was removed. (They’re on the receiving side, agencies feeding data in, so I’m not claiming Apex pushes data to the Air Force. I’m saying the Town told us it cut federal ties, and its own live page says otherwise. So which is it?)

Also sitting in Apex’s share list: the NC SBI (the agency the new state budget, SB 257, allows putting cameras on state roads), a state “fusion center” (the pipeline that bridges local data to the feds), multiple state police agencies and state prison systems, a railroad police force, and Home Depot. All in the network. All with your movements. SBI Source

And “7 day retention”? That’s the number they’ll wave around as a safeguard. It’s meaningless. Once a plate read is shared into ~1,180 agencies, every one of them keeps it under its own rules. Seven days in Apex does not follow the copies out the door. The data is gone the moment it’s queried.

One more. Amarillo, Texas PD is on Apex’s share list. That’s the department where an officer used Flock to track a private citizen 76 times over five months, entering fake reasons, to stalk her. Apex hands its data to them, and to about 1,179 others it has no way to audit. Source

So no. “Without compromising individual privacy” isn’t transparency. It’s a a useless statment written by the vendor’s marketing team, sitting on top of a page that documents the exact opposite. Scanning every car in town 275,000 times a month and piping it to 1,180 agencies you’ll never name is what they want us OK with.

They’re banking on us being exactly as stupid as that opening sentence assumes. Don’t be.

The Public Safety Committee takes Flock back up December 3. The contract ends January 31.

Ed Gray is also holding office hours at Town Hall this Thursday, Oct 22 at 5pm. Go. Ask questions. Voice your concerns. Let’s see if they actually care what the people want.

Pulled up to a stoplight and saw a white Tesla with TMSA branding on the sides. What does a charter school need a Tesla for?

I was in the room Monday night (Oct 13). Here’s what I watched happen.

Council approved a five year Axon contract 4 to 1: DroneSense software for the drones APD already flies, bundled with an interview room camera system. Shane Reese was the only no.

Back in August, residents actioned and Sue pulled this same contract off the consent agenda and asked to see the drone use policy before any vote. The police chief told the N&O the program runs under a “robust policy.” The N&O asked for a copy and never got one.

Two months later the contract came back from committee. The policy did not.

On Monday, Mayor Pro Tem Mahaffey asked again whether the policy exists and is public. The town attorney said “some are public, some are not.” They voted anyway. Nothing was produced.

And here’s the thing about “we have a robust policy”: to this day they have never produced it. Not to residents who asked in August, not to the N&O when it requested a copy, not to the council member who asked from the dais Monday night. A policy nobody can read is not a policy. You can’t be held to rules that don’t exist in public.

Even if it’s real, an internal use policy only governs what APD does with the data. It says nothing about who else can get to it. That’s not hypothetical with this vendor stack: Flock’s national network has already been accessed by federal agencies, and Axon’s platform is built to pool drone video, plate hits, and other feeds together. “Trust us, we have rules” doesn’t address the part that actually matters, which is where the data goes and who can query it. Nobody answered that Monday either.

What I noticed sitting there:

• The term got longer, not shorter. In August it ran to June 2030. Axon sent a new quote the day of the meeting, five years from Nov 1, so now it runs into late 2031. Nobody blinked at the extra 18 months.
• The interview room recording system is fine and nobody opposed it. NC law requires recording certain interrogations. It was priced separately (about $74k) from the drone software (about $43k). They could have approved the half nobody objected to and held the drone software until the policy was public. They bundled it instead.
• Ed Gray did most of the talking, and most of it was aimed at arguments nobody made. Nobody said the drones peer into windows. Nobody said drones have no legitimate use. Nobody opposed recording interrogations. He kept knocking those down anyway and calling the real concern, no published policy, “panic, paranoia, and unnecessary stress.”
• The urgency was never shown. Gray said we were about to hit a “critical gap” if it didn’t pass that night. Nobody named a date. Nobody said what would go dark if the vote waited for the policy. I listened for it. It never came.

One claim I’d flag: Gray said residents could “look at a database to figure out whether or not that’s an APD drone.” DroneSense is internal pilot and fleet software, live streaming, flight logging, evidence storage. I can’t find a resident facing lookup anywhere in its product materials. The cities that actually offer public drone lookups built those separately and announced them. If it’s in the Apex contract, the town can point to the line.

And the Flock plate reader question is still open. The Public Safety Committee made no recommendation. It comes back December 3. The Flock contract ends January 31.

Two dates if you want to show up:

• Ed Gray’s town hall, Thursday Oct 22, 5:00 PM, Apex Town Hall third floor, 73 Hunter Street. He says he hasn’t made up his mind on Flock and wants dialogue. Go specific: ask him to publish the drone policy before Dec 3 and show where the public drone lookup actually is.
• Public Safety Committee, Dec 3 at 3:00 PM, where Flock comes back.

Full writeup with the meeting video and vote breakdown: https://deflockapex.org/council-2026-10-13

I was there for the whole thing, so I’ll be around in the comments.

Apex board appointments now run on a calendar. On Oct. 13, Council adopted the "shot clock": the Mayor's recommendation is due 30 days before a term ends, or within 30 days of a vacancy. The code now says plainly that Council is not bound by it, as there was some previous disagreement about the plain meaning of the word "recommendation". If none arrives in time, or Council doesn't appoint that person, Council can appoint another qualified applicant. It applies to all six boards with resident members.

As I said at the hearing, this is about reliability: seats come up, they're due, we vote, and we move on. Council votes on one ballot for all open seats, listing every Council nominee plus the Mayor's recommendation, if there is one. Minutes later, signed ballots filled all four open seats on the agenda, for arts, transportation, parks and the Planning Board.

More seats come up in December. If you'd like to serve, apply at apexnc.org/177.

Meeting video: Town of Apex.

Made it over to the No Kings: Vote Early rally at Beaver Creek Commons this morning 🇺🇸. Rain didn't stop a great crowd from lining the sidewalks with a simple message: make your plan to vote early.

With early voting open now through October 31 — and same-day registration available — there's no reason to wait. Standing up for democracy and freedom means showing up, and Apex showed up today. 🗳️