Brunswick County sheriff's office employee resigns over alleged Flock camera misuse; SBI reviewing

First reported: September 1, 2026 · 26 sources

Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Chism said Tuesday that an employee of his office resigned after alleged misuse of the agency's Flock Safety camera system was identified during a review of Flock program activity. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is now reviewing the matter. The sheriff's office has not named the former employee or described how the system was allegedly misused, citing state law on personnel and investigative records. Chism also announced plans to launch a Flock transparency portal on the agency's website in the coming days.

Why this matters

The case adds to a series of North Carolina incidents in which officers have been accused of using license plate reader systems for unauthorized purposes, raising questions about how agencies audit access and what they disclose when misuse is found.

Key facts

Sheriff Brian Chism announced the resignation in a Facebook video statement on Tuesday; the employee has not been publicly identified.
The alleged misuse was found during a review of the sheriff's office Flock program; the SBI is reviewing the matter and no charges were reported.
The agency says a Flock transparency portal will go live on its website soon, following a similar portal from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office.
The article notes two prior North Carolina cases: a Charlotte-Mecklenburg officer arrested in July over alleged Flock use to aid a drug investigation target, and a Mooresville officer arrested in August accused of tracking her boyfriend's ex-wife. Both are allegations, not convictions.
Mark Williams, attorney and founder of DeFlock ILM, has criticized the cameras on privacy grounds while saying he is not opposed to law enforcement.

Timeline

September 1, 2026Brunswick County sheriff’s employee resigns amid alleged misuse of Flock cameras
September 1, 2026Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office employee resigns amid investigation into Flock system misuse
September 2, 2026Brunswick County deputy resigns amid SBI review of Flock camera system use
September 10, 2026BCSO employee resigns over alleged Flock camera misuse
October 6, 2026Former Brunswick deputy indicted on charges for alleged Flock camera misuse
October 6, 2026Former Brunswick County deputy charged with misusing Flock system
October 7, 2026Former Brunswick deputy charged with misuse of Flock cameras
October 8, 2026North Carolina sheriff’s lieutenant accused of misusing Flock cameras: SBI
October 8, 2026Former Brunswick County Lieutenant Daniel Heith Little Hit With 18 Charges in Flock Camera Probe
October 7, 2026Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office addresses former deputy’s indictment for flock misuse
October 15, 2026Former BCSO officer indicted over alleged Flock camera misuse

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Brunswick County sheriff’s employee resigns amid alleged misuse of Flock cameras (WWAYTV3, September 1, 2026)
Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office employee resigns amid investigation into Flock system misuse (WECT, September 1, 2026)
Brunswick County deputy resigns amid SBI review of Flock camera system use (WCTI, September 2, 2026)
Brunswick County deputy under SBI investigation for Flock misuse (portcitydaily.com, September 1, 2026)
Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office employee resigns amid investigation into Flock system misuse (AZ Family, September 1, 2026)
Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office employee resigns amid investigation into Flock system misuse (KOLN | Nebraska Local News, Weather, Sports | Lincoln, NE, September 1, 2026)
Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office employee resigns amid investigation into Flock system misuse (WECT, September 1, 2026)
BCSO employee resigns over alleged Flock camera misuse (Goldsboro News-Argus, September 10, 2026)
Sheriff's employee resigns amid Flock camera probe (The State Port Pilot, September 9, 2026)
Former Brunswick deputy indicted on charges for alleged Flock camera misuse (Port City Daily, October 6, 2026)
Brunswick County deputy charged with misusing Flock cameras (WRAL, October 6, 2026)
Former Brunswick County deputy indicted over alleged misuse of Flock camera system (WWAYTV3, October 6, 2026)
Former Brunswick County deputy charged with misusing Flock system (WECT, October 6, 2026)
Former Brunswick County deputy charged with misusing Flock system (Wect News 6, October 6, 2026)
Former deputy investigated over alleged Flock camera misuse (ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4, October 7, 2026)
Former Brunswick deputy charged with misuse of Flock cameras (Wilmington Star-News, October 7, 2026)
Former Brunswick County deputy charged with misusing Flock camera system (wfmynews2.com, October 7, 2026)
Former Brunswick deputy charged with misuse of Flock cameras (Wilmington Star-news, October 7, 2026)
North Carolina sheriff’s lieutenant accused of misusing Flock cameras: SBI (CBS17.com, October 8, 2026)
SBI arrests former Brunswick County Sheriff’s lieutenant in Flock camera investigation (WWAYTV3, October 7, 2026)
Former Brunswick County Lieutenant Daniel Heith Little Hit With 18 Charges in Flock Camera Probe (The North Carolina Beat, October 8, 2026)
Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office addresses former deputy’s indictment for flock misuse (WECT, October 7, 2026)
Former Brunswick County sheriff’s lieutenant arrested in alleged computer, ALPR misuse (WPDE, October 7, 2026)
North Carolina former deputy faces 18 charges, accused of misusing Flock cameras (WLOS, October 7, 2026)
Brunswick Co. Sheriff’s Office addresses former deputy’s indictment for flock misuse (WECT, October 8, 2026)
Former BCSO officer indicted over alleged Flock camera misuse (Goldsboro News-Argus, October 15, 2026)

More from North Carolina

Everything we have documented in North Carolina, or search every North Carolina article in the archive.

About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated October 15, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.