Residents ask sheriff's office for transparency
Robbinsville – Though the first of the group appeared some three years ago, the public has just began to question the unannounced appearance of cameras that have been placed strategically in several locations – predominantly around the county seat.
Following a recent Facebook discussion about their presence, The Graham Star reached out to the Graham County Sheriff's Office with a list of questions that focused on clearing up any misconceptions and provide insight on what exactly the cameras are for.
The office responded Monday afternoon with a lengthy statement. They are not Flock cameras – which have became popular in recent years with law enforcement agencies around the country – but the origins of the Verkada cameras being in Graham County date back to 2023, but many were not placed into service until recently.
Only the sheriff's office can see the footage captured by the cameras – which is deleted after 90 days unless needed for an active case, according to the statement.
"The sheriff's office has operated public safety camera systems for more than a year and at least one camera location has been actively used during that time," reads a portion of the statement. "The additional camera equipment currently being deployed was purchased under a previous administration and subscriptions for those systems have been maintained for more than a year. Some of that equipment had not yet been installed or placed into service.
"Recent activity has involved the installation and activation of previously-purchased equipment, in order to expand public safety coverage throughout the county."
The office said they did not want the purchases to go to waste, even though the current administration itself told The Star that it is still trying to gather invoices to find out exactly how much was invested from the budget.
"After reviewing the equipment and its capabilities, the sheriff's office determined it was in the best interest of Graham County taxpayers to place county-owned equipment into service rather than allow equipment that had already been purchased and paid for to remain unused," the statement said. "As stewards of public funds, we have a responsibility to ensure taxpayer investments are utilized in a manner that provides value to the community.
"The deployment of this equipment allows the sheriff's office to make use of resources that were already owned by the county while enhancing public safety, supporting criminal investigations, protecting public infrastructure and assisting in emergency response efforts."
Five cameras are currently in use, including one at the Rodney Orr Bypass (U.S. 129)/Sweetwater Road (N.C. 143) intersection and on Knight Street. Each site will soon be fully equipped with two Automated License Plate Readers and a 360-degree, "situational awareness" camera.
"While several locations are within or near municipal areas, the system is not limited to town boundaries," reads the statement. "Some cameras are being positioned at major intersections and travel corridors throughout the county, to assist with public safety efforts and criminal investigations. These systems are intended to assist law enforcement and public-safety efforts, by providing investigative leads, identifying suspect vehicles, locating stolen vehicles, assisting in missing person investigations, supporting emergency response operations, and aiding criminal investigations. Captured license plate data is not used for routine traffic enforcement, speeding, expired tags, inspection violations, or similar traffic infractions."
Two recent, traffic-related incidents were solved thanks to the cameras, including a trailer knocking down a pole at the Rodney Orr Bypass/Sweetwater Road intersection and a high-speed pursuit of a Canadian motorcyclist.
"These cameras observe activity that is visible from public roadways and public areas, and are not intended to intrude upon the private activities of citizens," the statement also clarified.
There are no current plans to expand the number of Verkada cameras, but the sheriff's office said it will monitor the need for additional surveillance as needed.
"Like most video surveillance systems, these cameras are capable of capturing images of individuals who are present in public areas visible to the cameras," the statement explained. "However, the sheriff's office does not utilize facial recognition technology or any facial recognition database for the purpose of automatically identifying individuals. The cameras are used to record and preserve video evidence, and to support legitimate law enforcement and public safety functions. While the camera hardware is capable of recording audio, the audio recording function has been disabled and is not currently being utilized by the sheriff's office.
"The sheriff's office recognizes and respects the constitutional rights of all citizens. Public safety and individual liberty are not competing interests; both are essential. These systems are not intended to monitor lawful First Amendment activities, political activities, religious activities, or other constitutionally protected conduct. The purpose of these cameras is to support legitimate public safety and law enforcement functions while operating within the limits of the United States Constitution, North Carolina law, and Sheriff's Office policy.
"The Graham County Sheriff's Office believes these systems are valuable public safety tools that help protect our community, assist victims, support investigations, safeguard taxpayer resources, and enhance public safety while operating within the limits of the law and under established policy safeguards. We remain committed to using this technology in a lawful, responsible, transparent, and constitutional manner."
The full statement can be read on the Graham County Sheriff's Office Facebook page.