Resident raises privacy concerns about Flock Safety cameras; board asks staff to follow up

During public comment Nov. 18, Claire Viadro of Locust Grove told the Floyd County Board of Supervisors the county’s four Flock Safety automated license-plate reader (LPR) cameras raise privacy and data-security concerns. Viadro said the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office has a grant-funded contract with Flock Safety and cited news reports and complaints in other localities about centralized databases that aggregate vehicle sightings.

"Two years ago, our charming one-stoplight county became a forced surveillance camera county," Viadro told the board, saying she was unsure whether Floyd had opted into any national data-sharing but urging supervisors to reconsider local use of the technology. She said a June report cited a $12,600 state grant supporting the county contract and asserted Sheriff Craig told her he would not seek renewal when the grant cycle ends.

Sheriff’s Office representatives in the meeting described practical uses of LPRs — including quickly locating stolen vehicles and issuing alerts — and emphasized audit trails and retention limits. The board said staff would scan and circulate Viadro’s written remarks and follow up with the sheriff’s office and county counsel to clarify the grant source, contract terms and data-sharing practices.

Board members asked staff to gather documentation and return with facts the board can use to inform any future renewal decision. No formal motion to change the county’s agreement was made at the meeting.

What to watch: staff follow-up on the grant source, contract renewal timeline and whether the county has opted into any external database or data-sharing agreement.