Documented Incident
Monongalia County, W.Va., Flock contract posted after omission shows nationwide network access
Event: November 13, 2025 · First reported: October 7, 2026 · 1 source
A six-page Flock Safety order form signed by Monongalia County Sheriff Todd Forbes on Nov. 13, 2025, was added to the Sheriff's Office's new Flock Transparency Portal after the portal initially launched without it. The document shows a $177,600 cost over an initial 36-month term, or $59,200 per year, for 20 license plate reader cameras plus access to Flock's state and nationwide networks and 'Vehicle Fingerprint' searches by vehicle characteristics rather than plate alone. An accompanying department audit reported 62 active users as of June 25 across the Sheriff's Office, MECCA 911 and the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, and found one former employee still had system access, which was terminated upon discovery.
The posting shows that a local ALPR purchase can incorporate separately published online terms and a broad data-sharing network that extends well beyond the cameras a county installs. It also illustrates how transparency portals may be incomplete unless specifically reviewed by elected officials and the public.
Key facts
- Contract signed Nov. 13, 2025 by Sheriff Todd Forbes and Flock Chief Legal Officer Dan Haley; $177,600 over 36 months with automatic renewal unless notice is given 30 days before term end.
- 19 of 20 purchased cameras were installed and active as of June 25; the audit listed 73 total accounts, 61 active, and five deactivated.
- The Sheriff's Office made its ALPR database searchable by 980 other law enforcement organizations, sharing automatically with non-federal agencies within 50 miles and statewide; it said its network was not discoverable nationwide.
- Searches from Jan. 1 through June 25 included 188 categorized as drugs/narcotics, 108 as 'Other,' 52 financial crimes, 40 traffic infractions and 35 welfare checks; auditors reported no policy violations.
- The order form incorporates Flock's online Terms and Conditions, which were updated Aug. 21 after signing; current terms grant Flock a perpetual, worldwide license to use customer data but bar selling it, a provision Flock has publicly defended.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Monongalia County Flock contract reveals nationwide camera network, vehicle search capabilities (WV News, October 7, 2026)
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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 October 9, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.