Henrico to end Flock contract over privacy concerns
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Henrico is cutting ties with Flock and its 122 license plate readers, reversing course less than three months after agreeing to another year with the controversial surveillance company.
Why it matters: It's the region's largest locality yet to abandon Flock, and the decision comes days after a Chesterfield Police employee was charged with illegally using the system and other police databases.
Driving the news: Henrico police announced Tuesday that it plans to end its Flock contract within seven days, citing concerns about whether data collected by the company's nationwide camera network is adequately protected.
- The county agreed in July to renew Flock through Nov. 14, 2027, with a 3% price increase.
- But Henrico doesn't expect to pay anything to end the contract early, county spokesperson Ben Sheppard told Axios.
What they're saying: Board chair Roscoe Cooper said officials are confident county police used the system appropriately, but "cannot ignore the potential for misuse of system data by others."
Zoom in: Henrico itself revoked access for 10 fire marshals in August after discovering state law didn't authorize them to use the system, while Richmond and Alexandria have documented improper or policy-violating searches.
- Nationwide, a Washington Post investigation found at least 50 officers were accused, charged or convicted of misusing Flock or other license plate reader systems.
Flock didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Catch up quick: Goochland stopped using its 11 cameras over privacy and legal concerns last month, becoming the first locality in the region to do so.
- Weeks later, Richmond Mayor Avula said the public sentiment around the system "requires us to reevaluate our relationship with Flock."
- He directed RPD to reduce its data retention policy from 21 days to 7 but stopped short of ending the city's contract, which expires next November.
What we're watching: Whether Henrico's reversal puts new pressure on Richmond and Chesterfield, whose contract runs through 2029.