West Virginia Lawmakers Threaten Subpoenas Against Flock Safety
The West Virginia House Government Organization Committee threatened to subpoena Flock Safety after the company failed to provide public written answers regarding surveillance security.
The House Committee on Government Organization in West Virginia has threatened to subpoena surveillance company Flock Safety after the firm failed to meet a series of deadlines for providing public written responses regarding its automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology. Led by Chairman Chris Phillips and Delegate Tristan Leavitt, lawmakers are seeking specific data on security breaches, unauthorized access to raw video footage, and data governance to inform regulations for the 2027 legislative session.
The dispute intensified after the committee rejected Flock Safety's offers to hold private, off-the-record briefings, asserting that closed-door meetings are not a substitute for public accountability. Lawmakers specifically cited discrepancies between the testimony of Director of Government Affairs Kevin Kane and a blog post by Chief Legal Officer Dan Haley regarding when multi-factor authentication became mandatory for the company's systems.
Flock Safety maintains it has been transparent, providing ten pages of written responses and public testimony. Company spokesperson Paris Lewbel stated that offers to meet were intended for clarification rather than as a replacement for written answers. The conflict unfolds as the American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia sues the city of Huntington over its $2.1 million contract with the company, while other agencies like Monongalia County continue to expand their use of the surveillance technology.
