Henrico County Rips Down 120 Flock Cameras

Crews in Henrico County, Virginia, dismantled more than 120 Flock cameras on Saturday. The physical removal marks the final step in a process that began when the county halted its use of the automatic license plate reader system last month.

County Manager John Vithoulkas confirmed the number of units taken down. Officials stated that Flock missed its contractual obligation to remove the equipment within two weeks of the contract ending. Because the vendor did not act, county staff handled the teardown. The poles that held the cameras remain standing, a task that stays with Flock.

The decision to cut ties with Flock emerged from discussions with residents, police, and experts. These conversations weighed the utility of the technology against growing worries about privacy and data access. Henrico police stopped using the cameras by mid-October. A social media post on October 6 confirmed that leadership had agreed to end the partnership.

Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, chairman of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, described the move as proactive. He noted that the county was aware of national and state-level debates regarding the technology. Cooper said the leadership felt the timing was right to make the change. Leaders emphasized that the decision was preventative, noting there was no evidence of misuse by Henrico police.

The removal follows a period of public criticism aimed at the privacy implications of the hardware. The county’s action concludes a local experiment with the surveillance system.