Huntington’s $2.1 million Flock surveillance contract faces lawsuit after council approval

Huntington City Council approved a $2.1 million contract with Flock Safety for a citywide security-camera system, and the agreement is now being challenged in court.

The council voted 6-4 on July 13, 2026, after a meeting that continued until approximately 4 a.m. Tuesday. More than 50 people spoke during public comment against the proposal, according to local reporting.

The contract’s approval does not mean the cameras are already operating. The available reports do not establish an installation date, the number or exact placement of cameras, or the agreement’s data-retention terms.

What the approved system would do

Flock systems use artificial intelligence and license-plate-recognition capabilities. The approved program was described as a citywide security-camera and license-plate-recognition system.

Mayor Patrick Farrell defended the contract as a public-safety tool. He said it would help monitor points where people enter and leave Huntington and help identify violent criminals and drug dealers entering the city.

The council’s vote puts municipal spending and the potential expansion of automated surveillance before the courts. For Huntington residents, the dispute involves competing questions about public safety, privacy and civil liberties. The available sources do not establish that every Flock capability is included in Huntington’s signed agreement.

Lawsuit filed in Cabell County

The ACLU of West Virginia and private attorneys filed suit against the City of Huntington in Cabell County Circuit Court on behalf of Huntington resident Greg Jimison. The lawsuit challenges the agreement after the council’s approval.

The next known step is litigation in Cabell County Circuit Court. The available reports do not provide a hearing date, the lawsuit’s specific requested relief or a ruling. The contract has not been reported as invalidated, and the lawsuit’s filing does not itself determine whether the city may proceed.

The reports refer to Flock Safety and Flock Technologies; the precise contracting entity should be confirmed against the signed agreement. They also do not establish how the system would handle collected information or what limits would apply to its use.

For now, Huntington has an approved $2.1 million surveillance contract and a pending legal challenge, but no reported court decision resolving the dispute.