From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville City Council voted 5–2 to terminate its contract with Flock Safety during a tense, standing-room-only meeting on Aug. 25.

The decision forced the immediate suspension of data access and the removal of the city’s 11 automated license plate reader cameras.

As for the backstory, the sudden vote was triggered by a combination of public backlash, national privacy scandals, and upcoming local elections as follows:

• Sudden executive push: Just a week prior to the meeting, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer posted a public video on social media calling for the termination of the Flock Safety contract. Her call came ahead of a highly competitive Nov. 3 mayoral general election, where she faces Councilwoman Kim Roney, a long-time vocal opponent of mass surveillance.

• National and state controversies: Local concern was magnified by news of Flock data being shared elsewhere with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and used out-of-state to track individuals seeking reproductive healthcare. Other North Carolina municipalities (like Hillsborough, Pittsboro, and Macon County) had already severed ties over perceived Fourth Amendment overreach. 

• The “Axon” compounding cactor: In May, the city approved a massive, 7.5-year contract with Axon Enterprises to create a new Real-Time Intelligence Center. Activists said they felt this created an all-encompassing surveillance dragnet, amplifying local anger and bringing the tension surrounding public surveillance to a boiling point.