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License-plate readers · Greenville County

Greenville County

Using license-plate readers · 7 agencies documented

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Greenville County Sheriff's Office

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
32
The county budget pays for 32 plate readers, 29 of them fixed; one was awaiting installation and four were offline from damage. The office also runs three portable units (sheriff, Aug. 10, 2026).
Contract
Flock Safety: $3,500 camera · Per-camera cost reported by the sheriff's office, plus a $900 one-time installation fee; replacing a damaged camera costs $3,500 plus $900 reinstallation. No contract document located. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), Aug. 10, 2026)
Sources
FOX Carolina (WHNS), Aug. 10, 2026; FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026
  1. Jan. 2024 Sheriff's office says it used Flock to follow a suspect's vehicle from Greenville into Spartanburg County in a double-homicide investigation. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026)
  2. July 2026 The office revised its policy to drop "other" as a search reason, and its updated general order added quarterly audits by division commanders; deputies already had to give a reason and case number for each search. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), Aug. 10, 2026)
  3. July 2026 Several cameras damaged in recent weeks, per the sheriff; four fixed cameras listed as offline from damage. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), Aug. 10, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Data kept 30 days at county level; shared with 141 South Carolina networks and 2,600 out-of-state networks (two-way with law enforcement, one-way with private networks), per the office.
  • More than 300 of 700-plus employees have access; 11 have administrator rights. An audit runs every 90 days and goes to the Office of Professional Standards.
  • FOX Carolina (July 23, 2026) confirmed the office uses Flock.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Fountain Inn Police Department

Status
Checked: no program found
Vendors
Sources
FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026
Conflicts and open questions
  • FOX Carolina reported (July 23, 2026) that Fountain Inn is the one Greenville County police department of six that does not use Flock. Other ALPR vendors not addressed.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Greenville Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
11
11 solar-powered readers installed in the Central Business District in January 2020, with 14 more planned (city release, Dec. 2020). No current count found.
Contract
Flock Safety: $22,000 total · One-year pilot: the city leased the readers; the project's $22,000 total cost came from federal asset forfeiture funds (city release, Dec. 2020). (Greenville.com (text credited to the City of Greenville), Dec. 14, 2020)
Sources
FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026; Greenville.com (text credited to the City of Greenville), Dec. 14, 2020
  1. Jan. 2020 Eleven Flock plate readers installed downtown. (Greenville.com (text credited to the City of Greenville), Dec. 14, 2020)
  2. July 23, 2026 FOX Carolina reports the department is among five of six Greenville County police departments using Flock. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Current camera count and contract terms not found; see records_requests.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Greer Police Department

Status
Use suspended
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
Count not documented
Count not published.
Sources
City of Greer, Aug. 21, 2026
  1. Jan. 2023 Department policy limiting Flock use to public-safety missions in place since January 2023. (The Woodruff Times, July 14, 2026)
  2. Aug. 21, 2026 City suspended its Flock system for 90 days: staff access cut off and cameras physically covered while the city reviews effectiveness, training and privacy concerns. Announced by City Administrator Andrew Merriman. (City of Greer, Aug. 21, 2026; The Post and Courier, Aug. 21, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • The city notice gives no end date; 90 days from Aug. 21, 2026 is about Nov. 19, 2026 (our calculation). No word found on whether use resumes.

From agency records.

Simpsonville Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
10
10 cameras as of March 2021 (4 bought, 6 on loan with option to buy). No current count found.
Contract
Flock Safety: $2,000 camera · Per-camera cost reported in 2021. (WSPA 7NEWS, March 31, 2021)
Sources
FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026; FOX Carolina (WHNS), Oct. 25, 2026
  1. May 2020 Police began using Flock plate readers. (WSPA 7NEWS, March 31, 2021)
  2. July 23, 2026 FOX Carolina reports Simpsonville police use Flock. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026)
  3. Oct. 2026 City Council scheduled to take up proposed ordinance O-2026-14, sponsored by Councilmember Sherry Roche, to prohibit ALPR technology within city limits and end ALPR contracts according to their terms. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), Oct. 25, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • The council meeting was described only as 'Tuesday' at 6 p.m. (article dated Oct. 25, 2026, which suggests Oct. 27). Outcome of the vote not found.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Travelers Rest Police Department

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Flock Safety
Cameras
7
Seven Flock cameras in the city, per police, Aug. 2026 (one later stolen).
Sources
FOX Carolina (WHNS), Aug. 18, 2026; FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026
  1. July 23, 2026 FOX Carolina reports Travelers Rest police use Flock. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), July 23, 2026)
  2. Aug. 17, 2026 A Flock camera was taken from a dismantled pole on North Poinsett Highway; police reported no leads. (FOX Carolina (WHNS), Aug. 18, 2026)
Conflicts and open questions
  • Theft date given only as 'Monday' in an article dated Aug. 18, 2026 (likely Aug. 17).

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.

Statewide

  1. March 2024 By March 2024 SCDOT had stopped approving new plate-reader installations in state right-of-way, citing ongoing litigation, according to an SCDOT spokeswoman. In February 2024 Transportation Secretary Christy Hall had said the department found more than 200 Flock cameras on state right-of-way without permits. A Flock spokesman said cities, counties and private owners could still install cameras elsewhere. The date the pause began was not reported. (The Post and Courier, March 11, 2024)
  2. July 2024 Local agencies reported working around the SCDOT pause, e.g., mounting cameras on private property or utility poles (Florence County SO, Loris PD; both outside the Midlands). (WMBF News, July 3, 2024)
  3. Jan. 14, 2025 H. 3155 (Rep. Rutherford) introduced and referred to House Judiciary: would restrict ALPR use to listed purposes, cap retention at 90 days, bar sale of data, and make violations a misdemeanor. No action after referral shown on the bill page. (South Carolina General Assembly, Jan. 14, 2025)
  4. Feb. 13, 2025 H. 4013 (Reps. J.E. Johnson, Gilliam, Bailey, Guest; Alexander added 2025-03-26) introduced and referred to House Education and Public Works: lists lawful ALPR uses, 90-day retention for law enforcement absent an investigation, audit logs, written public policy, ban on sale; expressly lets SLED operate an ALPR database; adds Section 57-3-786 directing SCDOT to set up a permit process for government cameras on non-interstate rights of way. No action after referral shown. (South Carolina General Assembly, Feb. 13, 2025; Municipal Association of South Carolina, date not shown)
  5. March 12, 2025 S. 447 (Sen. Brian Adams; companion H. 3155) introduced and referred to Senate Judiciary. Similar framework to H. 4013 (permitted uses, 90-day retention, written policy, access logs, visual confirmation before stops, no sale of data, SLED database authorized, SCDOT permitting via new Section 57-3-786) and makes misuse of law enforcement ALPR data a misdemeanor (fine up to $1,000 and up to two years in prison). (South Carolina General Assembly, April 9, 2026)
  6. April 15, 2025 WSPA quoted an SCDOT spokesperson on April 15, 2025 saying it was "unclear" whether the devices are allowed in state-owned right-of-way; on April 17 WIS reported SCDOT had not installed readers in state right-of-way for more than a year and was waiting for direction from lawmakers. (WIS News 10, April 17, 2025; WSPA 7NEWS (via Yahoo News), date not shown)
  7. April 15, 2025 A Senate Judiciary subcommittee gave S. 447 a favorable report; the full committee carried it over (per MASC tracker). (Municipal Association of South Carolina, date not shown)
  8. March 2, 2026 Attorney General Alan Wilson joined two Georgia-led multistate friend-of-the-court briefs, with 17 other states signing alongside South Carolina, supporting police use of license plate readers against Fourth Amendment challenges. The office's release does not name the cases or courts. (South Carolina Attorney General's Office, March 2, 2026)
  9. April 9, 2026 Senate Judiciary Committee reported S. 447 favorably (statehouse bill page lists 4/9/2026; MASC tracker lists 04.08.2026). No later floor action is shown on either page; FOX Carolina reported in September 2026 that lawmakers are expected to revisit ALPR rules in January 2027. As of these sources South Carolina has no statute specifically governing ALPR. (South Carolina General Assembly, April 9, 2026; Municipal Association of South Carolina, date not shown; FOX Carolina, Sept. 11, 2026)
  10. Sept. 2026 Gov. Henry McMaster, asked by FOX Carolina after Florida moved to remove Flock cameras from state roads, said law enforcement should not be deprived of such tools and that misuse should bring accountability. (FOX Carolina, Sept. 11, 2026)

State agencies

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED)

Status
Using license-plate readers
Vendors
Vendor not named in source
Cameras
6
SLED's own units as SLED described them in 2022: five trailer-mounted portable readers and one fixed reader; most reads in its central database come from local agencies (48 contributing agencies, ~400 million reads, three-year retention, per 2022 reporting).
Sources
GovTech / The State, Nov. 17, 2022; WSPA 7NEWS (via Yahoo News), date not shown; Flock Safety / Lexington Police Department, Dec. 7, 2025
  1. Nov. 2022 Reporting on a petition against SLED described its central ALPR database ("Back Office"): about 400 million plate images kept three years, SLED-owned units of five trailers and one fixed camera, data from 48 agencies. (GovTech / The State, Nov. 17, 2022)
  2. Dec. 7, 2025 SLED is listed among organizations with access to Lexington Police Department's Flock data on Lexington PD's Flock transparency portal. (Flock Safety / Lexington Police Department, Dec. 7, 2025)
Conflicts and open questions
  • WSPA (April 15, 2025) quoted senior SLED agent Mark Amos as saying the data is used only for law-enforcement investigations and that every search has a reason behind it.
  • No South Carolina statute expressly addresses the database; petitioners challenging it say no law authorizes it and SLED says state law does. H. 4013 and S. 447 would authorize it expressly.

Reported by news outlets; agency records not yet obtained.