Montgomery County, Va. Sheriff's Office pauses Flock ALPR use, forms policy review committee

First reported: September 3, 2026 · 13 sources

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in Virginia announced on a Thursday that it is temporarily suspending its use of Flock Safety automated license plate reader technology. Sheriff Robert G. Page said the office will convene a committee of local officials to review existing ALPR policies and practices. In his statement, Page pointed to both concerns raised about Flock and what he described as the technology's usefulness in criminal investigations. The article does not specify how long the pause will last or when the committee will report.

Why this matters

A sheriff's decision to halt an active ALPR program while local officials review it puts oversight questions ahead of continued data collection, and it comes as several nearby Virginia agencies weigh similar suspensions.

Key facts

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said the pause on Flock ALPR use is temporary, not a cancellation.
Sheriff Robert G. Page is creating a committee of local officials to examine current policies and practices.
Page's statement acknowledged safety concerns about Flock alongside its investigative value.
WSLS reported around the same time that the Amherst County and Bedford County sheriff's offices were also suspending Flock camera use.
The duration of the pause and the committee's timeline were not reported.

Timeline

September 3, 2026Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office temporarily pauses use of Flock Cameras, creates review committee
September 3, 2026Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office temporarily pauses use of Flock Cameras, creates review committee
September 7, 2026Montgomery sheriff pauses Flock cameras use , pending review
October 2, 2026Montgomery County Sheriff announces end of Flock Safety use

Sources

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

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office temporarily pauses use of Flock Cameras, creates review committee (WSLS, September 3, 2026)
Montgomery County pauses use of Flock Safety cameras (WSET, September 3, 2026)
Montgomery sheriff pauses Flock cameras use, pending review (Roanoke Times, September 3, 2026)
Montgomery County pauses use of Flock Safety cameras (WSET, September 3, 2026)
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office temporarily pauses use of Flock Cameras, creates review committee (Wsls, September 3, 2026)
Montgomery sheriff pauses Flock cameras use , pending review (dailyprogress.com, September 7, 2026)
Montgomery County Sheriff announces end of Flock Safety use (AOL.com, October 2, 2026)
Montgomery County will discontinue use of Flock cameras (WDBJ7, October 1, 2026)
Montgomery County Sheriff announces end of Flock Safety use (WFXRtv, October 1, 2026)
Montgomery County Sheriff announces end of Flock Safety use (WFXRtv, October 1, 2026)
Montgomery County Sheriff announces end of Flock Safety use (WFXRtv, October 2, 2026)
Montgomery County Sheriff announces end of Flock Safety use (Yahoo, October 1, 2026)
Montgomery County will discontinue use of Flock cameras (WDBJ7, October 1, 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 October 5, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.