Huntington council committee to weigh two competing ordinances on ALPR data access and penalties

Event: August 11, 2026 · First reported: August 11, 2026 · 1 source

Huntington, West Virginia's City Council Public Safety Committee is scheduled to meet Friday to review two proposed ordinances setting penalties for unauthorized access to, use of, or tampering with city-owned automated license plate reader systems. One measure was drafted by Mayor Patrick Farrell's administration and the other by Councilwoman Tia Rumbaugh; the committee will decide whether they can be reconciled or whether one should return to the full council. The council voted last month to purchase Flock Safety cameras after a meeting that ran more than eight hours with largely critical public comment. Committee rules generally bar public comment, so residents would be able to speak when an ordinance reaches a second reading before the council.

Why this matters

Huntington is debating enforcement and accountability provisions after already approving the camera purchase, a sequence other communities may face. A Herald-Dispatch editorial argued the council's decisions could serve as a model for other West Virginia governments weighing surveillance against privacy.

Key facts

Two competing ordinances are before the Public Safety Committee: one from the mayor's administration, one from Councilwoman Tia Rumbaugh.
The Huntington City Council voted last month to buy Flock Safety cameras; a related council meeting lasted more than eight hours.
The editorial cites Washington Post reporting that at least 50 law enforcement officers nationwide have been charged or accused of unauthorized license plate reader use, including 26 cases involving spying on partners or exes — allegations, not all resolved in court.
The Post reported a Georgia police chief allegedly used Flock to track his ex-wife's movements more than 500 times over seven months.
Committee rules typically do not permit public comment; public input would come at a council second reading.

Sources

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

Editorial: Flock rules debate could be contentious but it's needed (herald-dispatch.com, August 11, 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 15, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.