120 cameras come down: Henrico crews dismantle Flock system after vendor delay

Henrico County workers dismantled more than 120 Flock cameras across the jurisdiction on Saturday. The manual removal followed the expiration of the agreement with the automatic license plate reader vendor.

The county terminated its use of the Flock system in October. Officials cited privacy concerns regarding data access and public scrutiny of the technology. The decision came after consultations with police leadership, residents, and outside experts. County leaders characterized the move as a preventative measure. They noted there was no evidence that Henrico police misused the system during the period of operation.

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.

The contract included a specific window for the vendor to remove the equipment. Flock was required to take down the cameras within two weeks of the contract ending. The vendor missed that deadline. Consequently, county crews stepped in to handle the physical removal themselves.

Officials stated that Flock failed to fulfill its contractual obligation to clear the site. The poles that supported the cameras remain in place. County representatives indicated that it remains Flock's responsibility to remove those structural supports.