Henrico County rips out 120 Flock cameras after company missed deadline

Drivers in Henrico County, Virginia, will notice fewer street fixtures this week after local crews pulled down every remaining Flock camera. The removal took place over the weekend, clearing the roads of the automatic license plate reader equipment.

County Manager John Vithoulkas stated that workers removed more than 120 units on Saturday. Officials explained they had to handle the teardown personally because Flock did not meet its contractual obligation to remove the hardware.

The county stopped using the system last month due to privacy concerns. The agreement stipulated that the cameras be gone within two weeks of the contract ending. That timeline passed without the devices being taken down. The poles supporting the cameras remain in place, a task the county said belongs to Flock.

Henrico police severed ties with the technology by mid-October. A social media post from October 6 noted that the decision followed discussions with other leaders. Officials said the move came after hearing from residents, law enforcement, and experts on both the benefits and the drawbacks of the data collection.

Leaders characterized the action as a preventative measure. They noted there was no evidence that Henrico police misused the system. Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, chairman of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, said the board felt this was the right time to act.

"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."