Both Virginia Tech and the Town of Blacksburg will continue to use Flock cameras.
According to Blacksburg spokesperson Kenna Jewell, given its role as a college town hosting thousands of students, the town has chosen to retain its existing Flock cameras while putting additional restrictions on their use, such as limiting data sharing to Virginia Tech.
The university has also decided to continue the use of the cameras.
Meanwhile, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says after an internal review they are discontinuing the use of Flock cameras. Sheriff Robert Page said after thoroughly evaluating the program, he has decided to terminate their use. The review included input from community members, peers and other law enforcement professionals.
“It (evaluation) also analyzed the cameras’ potential future value to law enforcement and careful consideration of the concerns expressed by the citizens of Montgomery County,” he said in a Friday statement. “Flock cameras and other automated license plate reader systems can assist law enforcement in locating stolen vehicles, identifying vehicles connected to criminal investigations and finding missing or endangered individuals. However, the usefulness of any technology must be weighed against the legitimate concerns regarding privacy, oversight, access to information, and the collection and retention of data.”
The interim Sheriff expects the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding automated license plate readers to continue changing. He said he hopes future legislation may establish new requirements involving data collection and retention periods.
“Until clearer and more comprehensive standards are established, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will not resume its use of Flock cameras,” he said.
