At a Monday work session, the Middletown Town Council voted 5-1 to end the town's relationship with Flock Safety after initially placing three Flock cameras in the town last year.
A Flock camera is a type of automated license plate reader produced by Flock Safety, a private American technology company. Flock camera misuse has been in national headlines lately, with the Washington Post reporting in August that at least 69 police officials have been accused, charged or convicted of misusing the Flock system. This has led to localities terminating their Flock contracts, such as Henrico County and the city of Alexandria in Virginia.
On Oct. 14, 2025, the Middletown Town Council approved entering into a one-year contract with Flock Safety. Middletown Police Chief Gary Benedict Jr. secured a $10,000 grant from the Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) program administered by the Virginia State Police to fund three Flock cameras in the town.
Two of the cameras were placed on the northern and southern ends of Main Street (Valley Pike/U.S. 11), and the other was placed off Interstate 81 Exit 302.
After complaints started to roll in against the Flock cameras, Town Council decided last month to re...