The city that fought Flock
It was about to be a long night in Huntington, West Virginia. Mayor Patrick Farrell stood before 10 members of city council in a white dress shirt and dark blazer studded with an American flag pin. Behind him sat his constituents and residents from neighboring towns. Some had their arms crossed, while others held a steady glare in his direction. Less than a week before the July 13th meeting, a 33-year-old named…
Key points
- Huntington, West Virginia's city council voted 6-4 to approve resolutions allowing Mayor Patrick Farrell to enter a contract with Flock, an automated license plate reader company.
- Opponents are gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to void the contract and bar the city from replacing it with a competing service.
- Mayor Farrell cited Flock cameras as helping track down suspects in a recent killing and a double homicide, while critics warned of privacy violations and potential abuse.
Huntington, West Virginia's city council approved resolutions on a 6-4 vote that would let Mayor Patrick Farrell enter into a contract with Flock, the company behind a nationwide network of automated license plate reader cameras. The vote came after a meeting that stretched past 2AM, with dozens of residents speaking against the deal.
Farrell argued the technology had already helped police. He said Flock cameras assisted in tracking down the suspected killer of 33-year-old Jackie Harper, who was shot and killed less than a week before the July 13th meeting, and a suspect in the earlier double killing of a middle school basketball coach and his brother, a city worker.
Concerns raised at the meeting
Residents told the council they feared the cameras would trample privacy rights and allow stalking and surveillance. Some warned that legal daily activities could be subject to abuse by Flock or by rogue police officers with access to its recordings. After 2AM, a few speakers read from George Orwell's 1984, passing a copy down the line.
Some council members shared the concerns. They said the contract language was not tight enough to protect the city and could expose it to lawsuits. They also questioned whether a vote was needed right away given the strong opposition.
Have you spoken with the mayors of any cities who have canceled their contracts with Flock?
— a Huntington councilmember
Ballot initiative effort
The Huntington Community Action Group said it had collected 1,600 signatures in a little over a month of canvassing, with a goal of 4,000. About 2,700 are needed to force a city council vote on the proposed ban. If the council rejects or alters the ordinance, as expected, it would go to a citywide vote within a year.
Farrell described opponents as "a very loud and vocal minority" and said a silent majority supports the contract. Councilmember Holly Smith Mount, who voted against the deal, said she finds the petition drive exciting but does not want another meeting that runs until four in the morning.
