Henrico County pulls Flock cameras

Henrico County residents saw the end of automatic license plate reading on their local streets this weekend. County crews removed more than 120 Flock cameras on Saturday.

The removals were necessary because the private vendor, Flock, failed to meet its contractual obligation to take down the equipment. County Manager John Vithoulkas confirmed the number of units removed. Officials noted that the poles supporting the cameras remain in place, which is still Flock's responsibility to address.

The county ended its use of the cameras last month. The decision came after a review of privacy concerns and data access issues raised by residents, police, and experts. Henrico police cut ties with the system by mid-October.

Leaders characterized the move as preventative rather than a response to a specific error. They stated there was no evidence that Henrico police misused the system during the period of use.

Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, chairman of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, addressed 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 contract specified that the cameras should be gone within two weeks of the agreement ending. That deadline passed without the equipment coming down, prompting the county to take direct action over the weekend.