Flak over Flock surveillance cameras prompted two more decisions to scrap them this week in the New River Valley.
Christiansburg will no longer have an agreement with Flock Safety after the town council voted 6-0 Tuesday to terminate the use of the Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras.
The Giles County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday in a Facebook post that it will terminate its contract with Flock Safety a year earlier than the original term.
The use of the technology spread across the country to help law enforcement with investigations and provide community safeguards. But concerns over mass tracking, data sharing and potential warrantless invasions of privacy are convincing governmental officials to make a change.
After it was acknowledged that dozens of the cameras were installed at the wrong addresses, the Roanoke City Council voted in July to end their use. This month, use of the Flock cameras was suspended in Lynchburg, and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office announced it was also stopping its use of the technology. Numerous other localities across the state took the same action in recent weeks.
The Christiansburg contract started in 2024 and includes six cameras with an annual cost of $18,500, according to Chief Chris Ramsey. Under the current billing process, the town pays the expense upfront and is subsequently reimbursed through Virginia State Police grant funding of $10,000.
Less than a week before the vote, Ramsey presented information about the Flock cameras to town council during a special meeting on Aug. 19, saying that the cameras only photograph the license plates of vehicles after they pass by, not of people inside the vehicles.
“How people come down on this issue is certainly within their rights to decide,” said Ramsey, “but I want our decision to be made based on facts. Based on legitimate information and on the program that we have in Christiansburg.”
Multiple council members raised concerns at Tuesday’s meeting about the surveillance technology and pushed for the termination of the cameras.
“I have articles here about protestors and activists being targeted. The No Kings protest, a number of organizations that are being targeted,” said councilwoman Kim Bowman. She played a video from someone who identified themselves as an Ohio State University professor, who said, “under Flock, we are all under investigations for all crimes at all times.”
Councilwoman Christine Waltz asked about the Flock Safety agreement.
“It’s not clear to me, but it does look like they can change the terms and conditions online without notice,” said Reid Broughton, the town attorney.
“Because it is a well-run system by our police department, I fully supported having them,” said Mayor Mike Barber. “However, if it is the will of the people and will of the council, then we stand for their decision, but personally, I saw the benefits.”
Barber did not vote Tuesday because he only does so to break ties.
Fourteen people spoke before the council vote, all against the use of Flock cameras.
Lora Brown, of Blacksburg, said “yes, there are other corporations and many other technologies that are intrusive on our privacy. However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t address this particular one.”
In Giles County, while audits showed that there was no misuse of the two cameras used by the sheriff’s office, it “cannot control how other agencies use our data,” according to the statement issued by Sheriff Morgan Millirons
“With due regard for our citizens’ privacy, we have decided we will no longer integrate the use of [the] cameras into our operations,” the statement continues.
The sheriff’s office received funding through the Virginia State Police Heat Grant to install two Flock cameras in 2024. That year, the county received $6,800 in funding, and $6,000 in both 2025 and 2026 for their continued use.
“They were very accommodating, actually. I can’t say anything bad about that side of their customer service,” said Chief Deputy Scott Moye on Thursday about Flock’s reaction to the cancellation of the agreement.
“We’re obviously in tune with public sentiments and the overwhelming sentiment is that Flock cameras are becoming a concern about being a violation of privacy,” Moye said.
As of Oct. 16, the sheriff’s office will no longer have access to Flock, and the company will have to recover the cameras located on the Pulaski-Giles Turnpike between Pearisburg and Dublin facing southbound traffic and on U.S. 460 near Burger King and Narrows, according to Moye.
Flock did not respond Thursday to an email and a voicemail seeking comment.
