Huntington, WV council adopts use policy for $2.1M Flock camera contract over two dissents

First reported: September 15, 2026 · 2 sources

Huntington City Council voted Monday to adopt an ordinance setting rules for the Flock Safety surveillance system it approved in July, covering authorized and prohibited uses, data retention and sharing, oversight, audits and enforcement. The ordinance was revised after its first reading in a public safety committee to add a public complaint process and a five-year minimum retention period for misuse complaints. Council members Sarah Walling and Tia Fix Rumbaugh were the only votes against; two other members were absent. The underlying contract is a five-year, $2.1 million agreement giving the Huntington Police Department license plate readers, live video cameras, audio detection and drone services.

Why this matters

Huntington's ordinance is an example of a city attempting to add binding use limits after a surveillance contract has already been signed, and the council debate over penalties, vendor data rights and enforceability raises questions other municipalities face when writing ALPR policy.

Key facts

Council approved the Flock contract in July: five years, $2.1 million, including license plate readers, live video, audio detection and drones for Huntington police.
The new ordinance addresses authorized and prohibited uses, data retention and sharing, oversight, audits and enforcement, plus a complaint process and five-year retention of misuse complaints.
Mayor Patrick Farrell said the contract provides that Flock does not hold a perpetual license during the retention period, and that alleged officer misuse would be referred to county or federal prosecutors rather than municipal court.
Council member Sarah Walling questioned Flock's trustworthiness, saying the company had misled legislators and cities and that at least two states have restricted state funding or highway use; the company was not quoted in response.
Organizers of the "Get the Flock Out of Huntington" campaign told council they had collected 1,600 petition signatures opposing the cameras.

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

Council OKs ordinance to address potential misuse of Flock cameras, safeguard data (herald-dispatch.com, September 15, 2026)
Huntington Council OKs ordinance to address potential misuse of Flock cameras (Charleston Gazette-mail, September 16, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated September 18, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.