In Staunton, the wait for the removal of Flock Safety cameras is over. Staunton Police Chief Jim Williams told AFP the automatic-license plate reader cameras are coming down today.
The six cameras had originally been scheduled for removal on Friday, but when they didn’t come down, it spiked the curiosity of at least one resident.
“I’m curious about the timeline for removing the Flock cameras. The contract was canceled on Dec. 19 and officially terminated as of Jan. 8,” Staunton resident Deborah Kushner wrote in an email to City Council and Williams that was shared with AFP. “Last week, I heard the cameras would be removed by that Friday, but as late as yesterday mid-day, the camera on Commerce Road was still there.”
Kushner asked if the city could cover the cameras until they were taken down stating she had “little to no confidence” that they weren’t still collecting data.
Kushner was part of a vocal group who expressed opposition to the cameras in the Queen City. The residents felt the ALPR cameras provided data that resulted in a nationwide mass surveillance network. There are more than 4,000 active Flock cameras nationwide, capturing billions of photos each month.
The cameras snapped photos of vehicles whenever drivers passed them, storing the images for 21 days in a database for use by law enforcement.
For police, the data was helpful when investigating robberies, kidnappings, stolen vehicles and missing persons. Williams previously told AFP that the benefits of the cameras outweighed the drawbacks.
However, an unsolicited email from Flock Safety’s CEO Garrett Langley to Williams apparently changed his mind.
In the email, Langley said that the camera technology company and law enforcement were under a “coordinated attack.”
“The attacks aren’t new,” Langley wrote. “You’ve been dealing with this for forever, and we’ve been dealing with this since our founding, from the same activist groups who want to defund the police, weaken public safety, and normalize lawlessness. Now, they’re producing YouTube videos with misleading headlines. They’re also trying to turn a public records process into a weapon against you and against us.”
Williams responded back to the CEO saying he believed the actions of Staunton residents were not an assault but simply “democracy in action.”
After consultation with city staff and Staunton City Council members, Williams ordered the cancellation of the city’s contract with Flock Safety.
“The City of Staunton wants to make it clear that the Flock Safety CEO’s narrative does not reflect the city’s values,” the city said in a statement announcing the cancellation.
The contract was originally set to run through the fall of 2026.
Williams told AFP that the police department is “not actively exploring other stationary ALPR systems.”
Related stories
- Staunton Police Chief: Flock Safety cameras no longer accessible to officers
- Staunton to cancel Flock Safety camera contract, citing issues with ideology of CEO
- Staunton | Are police, ICE using Flock license plate cameras to spy on you?
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Crystal Graham
