Documented Incident
Nelson County, Virginia sheriff ends Flock contract after packed public forum
Event: October 14, 2026 · First reported: October 14, 2026 · 5 sources
Nelson County Sheriff Mark Embrey announced on Oct. 14, 2026 that his office has stopped using Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras, saying the agency ceased use on Oct. 13 and that its contract with the company ended the same day. The decision followed an Oct. 8 public forum at the Rockfish Valley Community Center that drew more than 100 residents, most of whom voiced opposition; when Embrey asked for a show of hands, only about a dozen said they would support continuing some version of the program. Embrey said the county's three cameras will be physically removed in the near future. He described the technology as effective for his deputies but said it did not fit the values and expectations of the community.
The reversal shows an agency head citing community trust, rather than questions about effectiveness, as the deciding factor, and adds Nelson County to a cluster of central Virginia jurisdictions that have recently ended or paused ALPR programs.
Key facts
- Sheriff Embrey said deputies stopped using the cameras Oct. 13, 2026, and the Flock contract ended that day; all three cameras are to be removed.
- Two cameras are on U.S. 29 at the Albemarle and Amherst county lines and a third is in the 1600 block of Virginia 6 (River Road); all three sit on private property with landowner consent, Embrey said.
- Nelson County signed its original three-camera contract in May 2025 for $13,000, funded by a $12,500 Virginia State Police HEAT grant and $500 from asset forfeiture; a May renewal used a $10,000 HEAT grant and $3,000 in forfeiture funds, with no county taxpayer money, according to the sheriff's office.
- Embrey said the 28 deputies he met with before the forum were unanimously in favor of keeping the technology.
- Embrey said at the forum that Flock would not be obligated to refund a prorated amount to Virginia State Police or to the county's asset forfeiture account if the contract was canceled.
- Nearby Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Campbell County and Appomattox County have terminated Flock contracts, while the Amherst and Bedford county sheriffs recently announced suspensions, the article reports.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Nelson sheriff's office discontinues use of Flock cameras (Lynchburg News and Advance, October 14, 2026)
- Nelson County Sheriff’s Office discontinues use of Flock cameras (WDBJ7, October 14, 2026)
- Nelson County Sheriff’s Office discontinues use of Flock cameras (Newsbreak, October 14, 2026)
- Nelson County Sheriff's Office Discontinues Flock Cameras (WDBJ7, October 14, 2026)
- Nelson County Sheriff's Office cuts ties with Flock (cbs19news.com, October 14, 2026)
More from Virginia
Everything we have documented in Virginia, or search every Virginia article in the archive.
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 15, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.