Huntington, WV

The Huntington City Council voted 6-4 in a meeting beginning July 13, 2026 and running into the early hours of the next morning to adopt a resolution entering a five-year, $2.1 million contract with Flock Safety. The package includes more than 40 license plate readers, 17 live video cameras, vehicle fingerprint technology, two gunshot detection devices and two automatically dispatched drones. More than 50 residents spoke during public comment and all but one opposed the resolution.

What moved this decision

Council majority cited crime-fighting capability
Adopted over near-unanimous public opposition at the meeting

What happened afterwards

The ACLU of West Virginia, joined by the Haslam Law Firm and Glazer, Saad, Anderson, sued in Cabell County Circuit Court on behalf of resident Greg Jimison, arguing the city failed to follow its own code on private commercial use of city property including public notice and hearing requirements, and asking that the contract be declared void from the start. As of August 10, 2026 the contract had not advanced: it was to take effect September 1 but Council Chairman Mike Shockley said it would not proceed until ground rules were set. Mayor Patrick Farrell introduced an access-control and Fourth Amendment ordinance, saying "We are rejecting, explicitly rejecting, mass surveillance," and Councilwoman Tia Rumbaugh introduced a competing ordinance.

What we still don’t know

These are the records we would need to describe this decision completely. If you can help obtain them, or already have them, get in touch.

Whether the Cabell County Circuit Court voids the contract on procedural grounds
Whether the competing Farrell and Rumbaugh ordinances are merged and adopted, and whether the contract ever takes effect
Whether any equipment was installed before the September 1 start date