Lynchburg City Council hears from residents, police on Flock camera use
The short version: Lynchburg police finally released a map of Flock camera locations after residents pushed back at a city council meeting, per WSET ABC 13.
Our Take
Credit where it's due: WSET ABC 13's coverage shows Lynchburg residents doing exactly what accountability requires — showing up, asking hard questions, and forcing police to hand over a map of camera locations that apparently didn't exist publicly before. That's not a gift from the department. That's the result of pressure. It's worth remembering that in most cities, Flock Safety's network of automated license plate readers goes in quietly, with no map, no public vote, and no real chance for residents to weigh in before the cameras are already logging every car that passes.
A map is a start, not a finish line. Knowing where the cameras are doesn't tell you who can search the data, how long it's kept, whether it's shared with other agencies or federal databases, or what happens when the system misfires and sends police to the wrong car over a bad plate match. Lynchburg's council meeting is a reminder that these systems expand by default unless someone in the room asks why. Most towns don't have that someone — yet.
If you want to see whether your own neighborhood has been quietly wired up, check our camera map. And if your city hasn't had its own Lynchburg moment, our take-action guide has what you need to make sure it does.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WSET ABC 13, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.