Tim Merrick
Role at the time: Democratic candidate for North Carolina House District 20
Mixed or conditional
Statement summary
North Carolina House candidate Tim Merrick said license-plate readers can help police, but he supports reducing the state's data-retention limit from 90 days to seven days, with exceptions for specific investigations and stronger access controls.
“License plate readers can be a valuable law-enforcement tool”
Open the original interview (opens in a new tab)Tim Merrick 2026 candidate questionnaireAnswer to question on Flock camera data retention
Merrick's written answer appears in a Port City Daily candidate questionnaire linked from the paper's September 23, 2026, election roundup.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
Merrick accepts the cameras as an investigative tool while conditioning their use on shorter retention and stronger controls over access, sharing and searches.