Huntington, WV council votes 6-4 for $2.1M Flock contract after 7-hour meeting

Event: July 13, 2026 · First reported: July 14, 2026 · 1 source

Huntington City Council voted 6-4 in the early hours of Tuesday, July 14, 2026, to approve contracts with Flock Safety covering license plate recognition, live video cameras, audio detection and drone services. The meeting ran more than seven hours until roughly 4 a.m., with more than 50 residents speaking against the proposal and a protest organized in part by the Huntington Community Action Group outside City Hall. Mayor Patrick Farrell urged approval, saying the technology gives police evidence-based tools and pointing to plate readers used in another city in connection with arrests after the July 7 shooting death of Huntington resident Jackie Harper. Council rejected motions to table the contracts indefinitely and to delay the vote two weeks for further contract review.

Why this matters

Huntington approved a multi-year regional surveillance package without first adopting a local ordinance governing use or retention of the data, a sequencing question other councils weighing Flock contracts are likely to face. The vote also came as some jurisdictions, including the Los Angeles Police Department, have moved in the opposite direction.

Key facts

Vote was 6-4; the five-year package totals more than $2.1 million, at $394,785 the first year and $438,220 annually thereafter, plus $77,560 over two years for professional services.
A city spokesman said the devices are expected to be installed and operating within the next few months.
A FOIA request by ACLU of West Virginia investigative reporter Kyle Vass produced emails indicating Flock and the police department had worked for several months on a large deployment, while council saw the proposal about a month before the vote.
Councilwoman Tia "Fix" Rumbaugh, a no vote, said the 100-plus-page contract gives Flock "irrevocable control of customer data" indefinitely and that other municipalities have negotiated changes.
Organizer Matthew Lebo cited a Supreme Court ruling in Chatrie v. United States on expectations of privacy in physical movements, and said no Huntington ordinance protects residents against misuse of Flock data. Two men were arrested in connection with the Harper shooting — one in Michigan and charged, one in Cabell County; arrests are not convictions.

Sources

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

Huntington City Council approves purchase of Flock cameras despite public opposition (West Virginia Watch, July 14, 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 August 10, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.