‘The right time’: County removes all Flock cameras, ends use over privacy concerns

HENRICO, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) - Crews in Virginia have removed all Flock cameras in a county over the weekend.

According to Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas, crews removed more than 120 Flock cameras Saturday.

County officials said they had to take down the cameras themselves after Flock failed to fulfill its “contractual obligation” to remove them.

Henrico County ended its use of Flock cameras last month due to privacy concerns.

The county said the cameras were supposed to be gone within two weeks after the contract ended.

However, that was not the case, and officials said the poles holding the cameras remain in place, with it being Flock’s responsibility to remove them.

In a social post on Oct. 6, Henrico County said after talking with other leaders, police cut ties with the automatic license plate reader cameras by mid-October.

Officials said the decision evolved as they heard from residents, police and experts about the benefits of the technology, as well as privacy and data-access concerns.

Leaders described the move as preventative and said there was no evidence Henrico police misused the system.

“Rather be proactive than reactive. And we’re aware of the conversations that are occurring nationally, as well as on the state level. And we just, again, felt that this was the right time to make this decision,” Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, chairman of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, said.

The technology has drawn public criticism over privacy and potential misuse.