HENRY COUNTY, Va. (rbs news now) — Henry County Sheriff Wayne Davis announced Friday that the Henry County Sheriff’s Office has immediately suspended its access to the Flock Safety camera system, citing concerns over privacy, constitutional rights and the changing national landscape surrounding the technology.

Sheriff Davis said the sheriff’s office will also explore options for potentially terminating its contract with Flock Safety before it expires in August 2028.

The decision reverses an earlier plan Davis announced in July to allow the existing contract to expire without renewal.

In a statement released Aug. 14, Davis said the sheriff’s office received a grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services in 2023 that funded the installation and service contract for 10 fixed Flock Safety cameras and four mobile units.

The system was implemented at no local cost to Henry County residents.

Sheriff Davis said the sheriff’s office established policies and safeguards before implementing the system and that Flock had since assisted deputies and investigators with numerous investigations.

However, the sheriff said concerns surrounding the technology have changed significantly during the past three years.

“Across the nation, there have been numerous instances in which law enforcement officers have misused Flock technology, with many cases resulting in criminal charges,” Davis said. “At the same time, legitimate concerns regarding privacy, data access, retention, and the appropriate use of this technology have continued to grow.”

Sheriff Davis said his decision was based on what he described as a need to balance public safety with constitutional protections.

“I am not a big-government Sheriff,” Davis said. “I am one of the strongest believers in the Constitution of the United States, and I firmly believe in protecting the constitutional rights and individual liberties of every citizen we serve.”

He said law enforcement’s responsibility to protect the community and protect individual rights should not be viewed as competing priorities.

“Protecting our community and protecting the constitutional rights of our citizens are not competing principles, they are both essential responsibilities of a Sheriff,” Davis said.

The sheriff said the decision does not mean the sheriff’s office is abandoning modern investigative tools.

“I will always believe that we can be both tough on crime and strong defenders of the Constitution,” Davis said. “We can give our deputies the tools they need to investigate crime while also respecting the privacy, freedoms, and constitutional rights of the people we serve.”

Davis said his priority remains protecting Henry County residents while ensuring the sheriff’s office operates within constitutional principles.

“My number one priority has always been, and will remain, serving the citizens of Henry County, protecting their constitutional rights, and doing everything within my authority to make this the safest community possible,” Davis said.

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