# Huntington approves Flock cameras despite privacy concerns

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-city-that-fought-flock/
- Published: 2026-10-26T10:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-26T10:20:15+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/features/1017836/flock-huntington-west-virginia-surveillance-ballot-measure
- Topics: Software

## Key points

- Huntington approved a Flock camera contract by six votes to four.
- The mayor cited help in recent murder investigations.
- Residents warned of privacy risks and possible misuse.

## Summary

Huntington, West Virginia’s city council approved a contract with Flock, a company whose cameras automatically read vehicle number plates, despite hours of public opposition. Mayor Patrick Farrell argued the system could help solve serious crimes, but residents and some councillors raised concerns about privacy, misuse of data and legal risks.

Farrell said Flock cameras helped investigators locate a suspect in a recent killing and identify a suspect in an earlier double killing. He also argued the technology might have helped with a decades-old unsolved murder case. Residents warned that recorded journeys could expose lawful activities to surveillance or abuse; the council nonetheless approved the measures enabling the contract by six votes to four.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.