Documented Incident
Morgantown council postpones surveillance technology ordinance vote after resident testimony
Event: October 7, 2026 · First reported: October 7, 2026 · 4 sources
Morgantown City Council took no action on October 7, 2026 on a proposed ordinance that would govern how the city evaluates, acquires, uses, audits and manages surveillance technology on city property, including automated license plate readers and facial recognition systems. Residents and council members called for stronger definitions and protections, particularly around data ownership, sale and use. Council members said they expected substantial revisions and planned to return with a revised draft for a first reading at the October 20 meeting. The city did not say whether it currently uses Flock cameras.
The debate illustrates how local governments are being asked to set surveillance rules before or alongside deployment, and the questions residents raised about banning versus regulating the technology recur in other municipalities weighing similar ordinances.
Key facts
- Council took no action on the ordinance at its October 7, 2026 meeting and planned a first reading of a revised version on October 20.
- The draft would cover evaluation, acquisition, use, auditing and management of surveillance technology, including ALPRs and facial recognition.
- Resident Harrison York said the ordinance does not ban the technology outright and leaves future councils discretion.
- Resident Paige Rearing asked that the ordinance explicitly address data analysis and derived information, not just the original collected data.
- City Manager Jamie Miller said the measure addresses how such technology is used and how collected information is accessed, protected and retained.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Morgantown council delays vote on surveillance rules after residents share Flock camera concerns (WTAP, October 7, 2026)
- Morgantown City Council holds off on Flock surveillance ordinance vote (WBOY.com, October 7, 2026)
- Morgantown council delays vote on surveillance rules after residents share Flock camera concerns (WDTV 5, October 7, 2026)
- Morgantown City Council holds off on Flock surveillance ordinance vote (WBOY.com, 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 13, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.