Flock Cameras Help Lead Investigators to Kidnapped 12-Year-Old in Arkansas

The debate over Flock license plate-reading cameras is likely to continue for some time, and both sides have legitimate arguments: government surveillance on one side and public safety on the other.

A recent kidnapping investigation is a stunning example of why the issue may not be quite as simple as being completely for or against the technology.

In this case, Flock cameras helped investigators identify a vehicle believed to be involved in the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl from South Carolina, ultimately leading authorities to the child 1200 miles away in Arkansas.

It Happened This Week

On Tuesday, September 8, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina received a report that 12-year-old Riley Berryhill (below) was missing. The search began immediately for Berryhill. Surveillance video later showed her walking along Highway 101, giving investigators another piece of the puzzle as they continued working through the night.

Spartanburg Sheriff's Office

The following morning, investigators obtained additional video showing Berryhill getting into a dark-colored Chevrolet Malibu shortly before 4:30 PM Tuesday.

Investigators began canvassing businesses and reviewing surveillance footage in an effort to identify the vehicle and, most importantly, determine its license plate number, which they did.

Flock Helps Identify the Vehicle

At approximately 3:20 PM Wednesday, investigators used Flock to locate a vehicle matching the Chevrolet Malibu seen in the surveillance footage, then connected the vehicle's registered owner with information previously provided by Berryhill's family.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office contacted the Independence County Sheriff's Office in Arkansas and requested a welfare check at the residence associated with the vehicle.

At approximately 4:30 PM, Riley Berryhill was found safe at the residence. Did you catch that? 24 hours from when the victim was picked up to when the victim was back under law enforcement protection.

31-Year-Old Arkansas Man In Custody

The Spartanburg Sheriff's Office arrested 31-year-old Brandon Lee Britten and charged him with kidnapping. Additional charges are possible as the investigation continues.

The sheriff's office also credited businesses and members of the community who provided surveillance video during the investigation, saying their cooperation was instrumental in helping investigators identify and locate the vehicle.

The Other Side of the Flock Debate

Stories like this are exactly why the national conversation surrounding license plate-reading technology deserves some thoughtful consideration.

There are legitimate questions about how Flock cameras are deployed, what information they collect, how long that information is retained, who can access it, and what safeguards are in place to prevent abuse of the information.

Those concerns are legitimate and shouldn't simply be dismissed.

Thank God the Berryhill family can breathe a sigh of relief in this case that their 12-year-old daughter will return home safe; there are far too many that don't.

If you can, put yourself in their shoes for just a second; If my 3-year-old granddaughter was taken, I want every tool available at law enforcement's fingertips to bring her home as fast as possible, and safely... wouldn't you?

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This is the part of the Flock debate worth remembering. The question probably shouldn't be whether Flock cameras are inherently good or bad, but rather how they're used, when they're used, and who has access to them.

Technology that can help find a kidnapped child or locate a dangerous fugitive can be an incredibly valuable law-enforcement tool.

There Has To Be A Line

Our challenge is making sure that line protects both public safety and individual rights, and that the system has serious consequences when it's abused.

In this case, the technology appears to have done exactly what law enforcement hoped it could: help bring a missing child home safely.

Spartanburg County Sheriff - South Carolina
Independence County Sheriff - Arkansas

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