Henrico County removes 120 Flock cameras after vendor defaults
County crews pulled the units on Saturday because Flock missed its removal deadline, though poles remain.
By Kwame Silva ·
Henrico County crews removed more than 120 Flock cameras from county roads on Saturday. The county took action after the vendor failed to clear the equipment by the required deadline.
John Vithoulkas, the county manager, confirmed the removal. He stated that Flock did not meet its contractual obligation to take down the units. As a result, county workers handled the demolition.
Henrico ended its use of the automatic license plate readers last month. The decision followed discussions with residents, police, and experts regarding privacy and data access. The board of supervisors voted to cut ties by mid-October.
The contract stipulated that the cameras would be gone within two weeks of termination. That timeline did not hold. Officials note that the poles supporting the cameras are still standing. Flock remains responsible for removing those poles.
Leaders described the move as a preventative measure. They said there was no evidence that Henrico police misused the system. Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, chairman of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, addressed the timing of the decision.
"Rather be proactive than reactive. 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," Cooper said.
