CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Nearly a week after making the case for Flock cameras at an Augusta County Board of Supervisors meeting, Sheriff Donald L. Smith announced Monday that he has removed two that the county was operating on Jefferson Hwy.
At last week’s meeting, the sheriff argued the cameras had “already proven valuable in several investigations, including helping identify a suspect vehicle in the homicide of Andrew W. Mitts Jr., locating stolen vehicles, assisting in missing person cases, and supporting an investigation into a recent tire dumping incident.”
He posted on social media a case for the cameras that included a video about how they worked.
But the sheriff’s office announced Monday they had received numerous calls and communications, “expressing concerns and uncertainty regarding the use of the cameras and the collection and use of information obtained through the system.”
“As Sheriff, I have listened to the concerns expressed by the citizens of Augusta County,” Smith said in the release. “After hearing those concerns, I made the decision to remove the cameras from operation while we continue to evaluate the issues that have been raised. I want the citizens of Augusta County to know that their concerns matter to me. Our responsibility is to keep our community safe while ensuring that we respect the rights of everyone we serve.”
The decision mirrors other localities, including Charlottesville, which took its cameras down in December. The city had activated them in a pilot program early in the year before letting the program expire in October.
“The concern is always if you give that kind of information to the government, or make it subpoena-able by the government, or in some cases simply the government says, ‘Give us a back door into your data base and we’ll use it in real time,’ that that’s just giving the government too much power,” Charlottesville City Councilor Lloyd Snook said at the time.
Smith had said “many citizens have also shared concerns about privacy and possible misuse. I understand and respect those concerns.”
“The Flock system is secured to meet federal and military standards. Access to the system is strictly controlled, monitored, and logged,” Smith said. “This system is then audited by the Sheriff’s Office and the Virginia State Police. Additionally, Virginia law makes it clear that misuse or improper access is prohibited. Under Virginia Code § 2.2 5517(D), there are penalties for abusing the system.”
But the sheriff’s office made the decision to remove the cameras Friday and did so.
The release said additional information will be provided as soon as the Sheriff’s Office continues to evaluate the technology.
More than 3,300 Flock cameras are active in Virginia, according to a crowdsourced Flock camera group. There is no official database that counts them.
Augusta and Charlottesville are among around 20 Virginia localities that have discontinued their use, primarily over concerns of federal law enforcement access.
