Privacy, cybersecurity fears drive debate as Huntington approves $2M drone, camera lease
Tue, July 14, 2026 at 11:09 PM
A 6-4 vote ended the 7 and a half hour long Huntington City council meeting on Monday, ultimately signing off on a lease for two drones, 17 cameras, and 46 license plate readers. This all coming with a price tag of about $2 million.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va (WCHS) —A 6-4 vote ended the 7 and a half hour long Huntington City council meeting on Monday, ultimately signing off on a lease for two drones, 17 cameras, and 46 license plate readers. This all coming with a price tag of about $2 million
“There are some significant issues around the contract, the company itself. Just because it’s one of the largest providers doesn’t mean it’s right for huntington. Just the fact that they are contributing to or they’re expecting us to contribute to this nationwide database should be frightening to everybody in the room,” someone speaking during public comment said
Others note they feel this goes beyond license plate readers, they said they feel it is total Governmeny overreach
Police Chief Phil Watkins told council members this will be funded through the Huntington Police Department’s contracted service budget line. He noted it is a public safety investment and would help with quicker responses
“By joining this network, we gain the ability to seamlessly share and access data across law enforcement departments on a national level. We are not just buying cameras, we are plugging into the most expansive collaborative safety network available to deny criminals at safe haven here in Huntington,” Watkins said during Mondays meeting
More than 50 people commented last night and the biggest shared concern was the security aspect, with many saying these AI powered cameras aren’t trustworthy
“Given the dogged determination of professional hackers as well as the uncontrolled capabilities of artificial intelligence, a yes vote by you could facilitate irreversible damage to the lives of your trusting neighbors,” one person noted
Some even referenced data from the Institute of Justice that found 22 different instances across the country of law enforcement using these cameras to stalk their romatic interests
“There are documented cybersecurity concerns. Federal vulnerability records and independent security research have identified multiple issues with Flock devices, including unauthorized access and exposure of private data,” another person said
Mayor Patrick Farrell noted that these license plate readers caught a man suspected in the shooting death of someone from huntington earlier this month
“Everyone gets scared about how something might be used, how it might infringe on your privacy. I get that. But when something happens in your neighborhood, when it’s somebody that you know, you’ll turn over the entire city to make sure somebody gets brought to justice,” he said
