Henrico Crews Pull 120 Cameras After Vendor Misses Deadline
The county removed the automatic license plate readers itself after the provider failed to clear the equipment within the agreed two-week window.
By Lina Lewis ·
More than 120 automatic license plate reader cameras were pulled from Henrico County streets on Saturday. The removal was completed by county crews rather than the vendor, following a missed contractual deadline.
Henrico County ended its agreement with Flock in October over privacy concerns. The contract specified that the devices had to be removed within two weeks of the termination date. When Flock did not complete the work, county officials took action to detach the units themselves.
The decision to drop the technology began in early October. Henrico County announced on October 6 that police had cut ties with the system after discussions with local leaders. Officials cited input from residents, law enforcement, and privacy experts regarding data access and potential misuse. Despite the exit, leaders noted there was no evidence that Henrico police had misused the cameras during their operation.
Rev. Roscoe D. Cooper III, chairman of the Henrico Board of Supervisors, defended the timing of the move. He stated that the board wanted to be proactive rather than reactive. Cooper acknowledged the national and state-level conversations happening around the technology and said the group felt it was the right time to make the decision.
County Manager John Vithoulkas confirmed the crews finished the removal last weekend. While the camera units are gone, the poles that supported them remain in place. Officials said it remains Flock’s responsibility to remove those poles.
