Tim Brown says he would remove the sheriff's Flock cameras over public distrust
Christiansburg police lieutenant and Democratic candidate for Montgomery County, Virginia, sheriff
“The reason is that public trust has got to be the most forefront thing for the sheriff's office, You’ve got to have public trust, and I just think people do not trust Flock.”
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The Roanoke Times reported on the Montgomery County, Virginia, sheriff's race, including Democratic candidate Tim Brown's pledge to remove the sheriff's office's Flock cameras.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Before the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, Brown favored stricter guidelines and oversight of Montgomery County's Flock cameras rather than ending their use, and The Roanoke Times reported that broad public distrust and the Christiansburg Town Council's decision to end its Flock contract changed his mind. His Republican opponent, Interim Sheriff Robert Page, has supported the technology and called the cameras a "valuable law enforcement tool."
After the quotation
Brown said the loss of public trust from the cameras is "just not worth it" and that Blacksburg should consider removing its nine Flock cameras if its residents raise the same concerns.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Brown said he would take down the sheriff's office's four Flock cameras if elected, explaining that people do not trust Flock and that public trust must come first. A pledge to remove the cameras is a call to end their use, so Condemned fits.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Flock Safety

Should Flock-style license-plate surveillance networks exist?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
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