City of Huntington hit with lawsuit from ACLU, others over $2.1 million Flock Safety contract
Huntington's City Council approved a $2.1 million Flock contract on 15 July 2026 by a 6-4 vote; the ACLU of West Virginia sued the city the next day. The suit, filed in Cabell County Circuit Court on behalf of resident Greg Jimison, does not argue privacy at all: it says the city broke its own procurement procedures and city code, including putting city property to commercial use without the required public notice and hearing, and asks the court to declare the contract null and void from the start. The contract is broader than plate readers: vehicle-fingerprint technology, live video, gunshot-detection audio and automated drones. Tracked in full on the litigation page as ACLU of West Virginia v. City of Huntington.
From the reporting
- Council approved the contract 6-4 on 15 July 2026; the suit was filed 16 July.
- Filed in Cabell County Circuit Court by the ACLU of West Virginia with Haslam Law Firm and Glazer, Saad, Anderson, on behalf of resident Greg Jimison.
- The claims are procedural: procurement violations and commercial use of city property without required public notice and hearing.
- Relief sought is the contract voided from inception and implementation halted.
- The $2.1 million package includes licence plate recognition, vehicle fingerprinting, live video, gunshot-detection audio and automated drones.
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