Flock cameras, commonly known as automated license plate readers, have expanded throughout the New River Valley with many concentrated in heavy traffic areas in and around shopping areas.
In many cases, multiple cameras are installed together.
While some law enforcement agencies call them just another tool to solve or stop crime, the public is questioning their usage.
Controversial issues involving Flock Safety automated license plate reader cameras in Virginia center on warrantless mass surveillance, lack of local government transparency and unauthorized data sharing.
A federal lawsuit has been filed by the Institute for Justice challenging Norfolk’s network of over 170 Flock cameras, arguing that prolonged, warrantless tracking of a driver’s daily movements violates constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure. While a federal judge initially ruled the system did not constitute a violation, the case is proceeding.
The lawsuit argues that tracking driving routes without a warrant violates citizens’ Fourth Amendment rights.
Critics highlight that Flock cameras capture more than just license plates, recording vehicle “fingerprinting.” This includes characteristics like dents, bumper stickers, make, model and roof racks, building searchable logs of everyday citizens not suspected of any crime.
Community pushback has led to widespread protests, public friction with police and criminal charges against individuals accused of vandalizing the cameras. No one has gone that far in Montgomery County, Blacksburg, Christiansburg or the City of Radford.
A report by the Virginia State Crime Commission revealed that numerous law enforcement agencies failed to follow state restrictions. Violations included illegally retaining data past the mandatory 21-day limit, giving continuous access to out-of-state agencies and improperly sharing tracking data with federal or outside entities.
Officials state the systems do not run facial recognition or track continuous movements in real-time.
Blacksburg has eight stationary and one portable automatic license plate readers (LPRs). The town signed a contract with Flock Group Inc. (“Flock”) in May 2023, and the system went live in September 2023. The contract runs through June 2027 and renews annually.
Christiansburg currently has six that have been in operation since 2024. Their contract is for two years and was just renewed for two more years.
Montgomery County has four cameras, which became operable in spring 2024. A five-year agreement was signed in 2023 with Flock Safety Platform.
Some of the local departments view the devices as a helpful force for law enforcement to trace stolen vehicles or resolve crimes.
Blacksburg Chief John Clair believes this technology is not necessarily the right fit for every community. In Blacksburg, however, he believes the nature of the community and the expectations placed on his department for effective and efficient public safety response make LPR technology an appropriate tool.
“Our population fluctuates dramatically; we are a community that welcomes an extraordinary number of visitors every day. Given this environment, we believe LPR technology provides significant public safety value. At the same time, we take privacy concerns very seriously. In fact, because of those concerns, we have intentionally adopted the minimum Flock product suite with the maximum internal controls. We use only the vehicle identification capabilities of the system.”
“We have not adopted, and will not adopt, the broader suite of available enhanced features. We have also implemented strict internal controls to ensure the technology is used only in appropriate circumstances,” he said.
For example, only supervisors are authorized to create alert lists within the system. Additionally, constant audits are conducted to ensure proper use. Blacksburg’s primary use for LPR technology is locating missing people, recovering stolen vehicles, and generating investigative leads for specific criminal investigations.
“In each of those areas, we have several examples demonstrating that the system has been vital in bringing these events to a close,” Clair said.
Blacksburg has used the cameras to locate a man with dementia who was driving a vehicle, Blacksburg has used the cameras to locate a man with dementia who was driving a vehicle and identify a suspect and vehicle in an attempted robbery and property destruction case.
Cameras were also used to identify and locate a missing and endangered Virginia Tech student, successfully investigate a hit-and-run, locate a suicidal student who was eventually found in Roanoke, and investigate a national Tesla theft ring.
In Christiansburg, Town Spokesperson Christina Bolt said the Christiansburg Police Department has found the cameras to be an incredibly valuable aid in criminal investigations.
“Virginia has strong guardrails in place to prevent and detect misuse or abuse. To many law enforcement officers, it seems the benefits they provide to the public safety mission, far outweigh many of the unfounded social media claims,” she said.
Christiansburg has also used the system to help with recent police efforts.
Opinions are mixed in recent discussions among candidates for Montgomery County sheriff.
Interim Sheriff Robert Page supports the use of Flock cameras for public safety.
Two of the Democratic candidates have also expressed their opinions over the past week.
Tim Brown said he feels their use, and under what conditions, will be a complex responsibility as sheriff. It is easy to claim that “Flock Cameras are good” or “Flock Cameras are bad,” but the reality is more multi-layered, according to the current Christiansburg investigator.
“Flock cameras can provide clear benefits. They help generate investigative leads, locate stolen vehicles, and find missing persons especially during Amber or Silver alerts when every minute matters. These capabilities can strengthen public safety and support our personnel,” he said.
“At the same time, responsible use requires firm safeguards. Clear policies must define how the technology is used, how long data is retained, who can access it, and what accountability measures protect individual privacy. Public safety must be balanced with privacy, data security, responsible information use, and community expectations,” he added.
Brown said as sheriff, his approach would be direct, “using every effective tool available to keep this community safe, while ensuring those tools are governed by strong policies, transparent practices, and respect for individual rights.”
Ed Hertling has decided that if elected sheriff, he will discontinue the use of Flock cameras.
None of the three localities has broadcast the location of their cameras, citing
denial pursuant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3706 (B) (10) on the basis that the placement of the FLOCK readers at selected intersections is an investigative technique or procedure that would be harmed by disclosure. The City of Radford also has Flock cameras in use.
