Henrico County Crews Remove 120 Flock Cameras After Contract Dispute
Officials dismantled the automatic license plate readers over the weekend after the vendor failed to meet its removal deadline.
By Connor Murphy ·
Residents in Henrico County, Virginia, no longer see Flock camera units mounted on street poles as county crews completed the physical removal of the hardware on Saturday. The county manager, John Vithoulkas, confirmed that workers took down more than 120 cameras during the weekend shift.
Local officials initiated the dismantling process because Flock failed to fulfill its contractual obligation to remove the equipment. The contract required the cameras to be gone within two weeks of the agreement ending, but the poles remained in place with the devices still attached.
Henrico County ended its use of the automatic license plate readers in late October. Police cut ties with the system by mid-October after consulting with other leaders. The decision followed feedback from residents, law enforcement personnel, and experts regarding the benefits and risks of the technology.
County leaders described the move as a preventative measure. They stated there was no evidence that Henrico police misused the system. Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, chairman of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, emphasized the timing of the decision.
“Rather be proactive than reactive,” Cooper said. “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.”
The technology has drawn public criticism over privacy and potential misuse. The county said the poles holding the cameras remain in place, with it being Flock’s responsibility to remove them.
