HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The City of Huntington is facing a lawsuit after approving a contract to install Flock Safety cameras and other surveillance technology throughout the city.
The lawsuit, filed in Cabell County Circuit Court by the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia along with the Haslam Law Firm and Glazer, Saad, Anderson L.C., was brought on behalf of a Huntington resident.
The legal challenge follows a 6-4 vote by the Huntington City Council to approve a contract allowing the Huntington Police Department to use a network of surveillance technology, including 40 automated license plate readers, 17 security cameras, two drones and two gunshot detection devices.
Flock Safety’s technology uses artificial intelligence to identify license plate numbers, vehicle makes, models and colors. It can also detect the sound of gunshots to assist law enforcement.
The ACLU alleges the city violated its own municipal code by approving the agreement without following the required procedures for allowing a private company to use city property. According to the lawsuit, those procedures should have included public notice and a public hearing.
“The legal issues with this contract are numerous, but we are starting with how it was awarded in the first place,” ACLU-WV Legal Director Aubrey Sparks said in a statement. “Simply put, the city acted hastily and did not follow its own laws when approving this contract.”
The debate has also prompted discussion in other communities. Officials in Barboursville have said they have no plans to pursue a similar agreement, while the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has paused its consideration of the technology pending additional research. In neighboring Ironton, Ohio, city officials are expected to consider legislation that would prohibit contracts involving AI-powered automated license plate reader systems.
A timeline for the installation of the Huntington camera system has not been announced.
