$36,500 investment has helped Burke sheriff's office recover $96,000 in stolen property

Stolen vehicles, missing persons, and wanted criminals just got a little easier to find in Burke County.

Strategically placed along roads throughout the county are 10 Flock License Plate Recognition cameras, said Burke County Sheriff Banks Hinceman. The cameras are designed to capture and record license plates, plus location and a timestamp.

“It’s a good tool that a lot of agencies are using,” Hinceman said, adding that the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office has used Flock cameras for years. Hinceman said the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office used its Flock cameras to help solve BCSO cases in the past. The success other agencies have had with the technology inspired Burke County to implement the Flock cameras.

The program’s start-up cost was $36,500, which came from the sheriff’s 2024-2025 budget. He said the Flock cameras cost $3,000 each, plus a $6,500 standard implementation fee.

The Flock cameras have been online in Burke for about two months, Hinceman said. Since that time, the cameras have helped recover about $96,000 worth of property stolen from Burke County residents.

Hinceman said the cameras have also helped with the following:

• A drive-by shooting where the suspect’s vehicle was found on Flock going to and coming from the area.
• Two tractor trailers were recovered and returned to the owner.
• A large-scale littering case was solved after the community voiced numerous complaints. The cameras helped detectives identify and locate the suspect’s vehicle.
• Multiple missing person cases have been solved.
• Multiple stolen vehicles have been recovered.

“These cases are still ongoing criminal investigations that have not been adjudicated, so the information is limited at this time,” he said.

Hinceman said the cameras do not collect personal information or use facial recognition technology.

“Law enforcement can enter certain vehicles that are tied to AMBER Alerts, SILVER Alerts, stolen vehicles, burglary suspects, and other activities,” the sheriff said. “Once these vehicles pass a camera, the local agency is alerted immediately so officers can respond. This helps law enforcement be able to respond in real time rather than hours later after reviewing private cameras in the public.”

The license plate recognition cameras were created by Flock Safety. Flock Safety’s website touts that the license plate recognition cameras are maintenance-free and “trusted by more than 4,000 communities across the country to help solve and deter crime.”

In addition to license plate numbers, Flock cameras capture a vehicle’s make, body style, color, plate state, and distinguishing features such as roof racks, window stickers, and toolboxes, according to Flock Safety. They can also identify vehicles that are missing license plates.

License plate recognition cameras are different from traditional cameras because “they provide searchable data and real-time alerts, so you can resolve incidents quickly without sifting through hours of video,” according to Flock Safety.

Hinceman said that every bit of helpful technology must be used to solve crimes and make communities safer.

“I just feel like these Flock cameras are helping us do that,” Hinceman said. “I think these Flock cameras will enhance our opportunity to solve more crime.”