CHARLESTON — Sen. Chris Rose (R-Monongalia, 2) said he supports giving law enforcement effective tools to investigate crimes but warned that Flock automated license plate reader systems must not come at the expense of Fourth Amendment protections.
Rose told Mountaineer Journal that Flock cameras collect information on people who are not suspected of crimes and said public safety should not be used to justify unrestricted collection and storage of citizens’ movements.
Rose said he supports law enforcement and the use of effective investigative tools, but believes Flock cameras raise Fourth Amendment concerns by creating searchable records of innocent citizens’ movements without a warrant.
“I am strongly pro-law enforcement and pro-law and order, and I want our officers to have effective tools to catch dangerous criminals, recover stolen vehicles, and find missing children. But public safety cannot become an excuse to disregard the Fourth Amendment. Flock cameras collect and store information about thousands of innocent West Virginians who are not suspected of any crime, creating a searchable record of their movements without first obtaining a warrant.”
Rose also questioned Flock Safety’s representative during a Joint Government Organization Committee hearing about access to the data, how the information is shared and whether the company can adequately protect it.
Rose said answers provided by Flock Safety’s representative raised questions about data access and security, and he said West Virginians should receive enforceable protections rather than assurances from a private company.
“During the Joint Government Organization Committee hearing, I questioned Flock Safety’s representative under oath about who can access this information, how it is shared, and whether the company can truly secure it. His assurances were inconsistent with Flock’s own public statements and documented reports of security failures and misuse elsewhere. West Virginians deserve transparency and enforceable protections, not promises from a private surveillance company.”
Rose said he supports stopping further expansion of Flock systems and removing systems that operate without clear constitutional safeguards. He also said he will continue supporting the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act, which he said would establish warrant requirements, limits on data retention and sharing, audits and penalties for misuse.
Rose said he wants additional Flock camera expansion halted and existing systems without constitutional safeguards removed while pursuing legislation to establish stronger requirements for the technology.
“I support halting further expansion and removing systems operating without clear constitutional safeguards. I will continue fighting for the Fourth Amendment Restoration Act, including warrant requirements, strict limits on data retention and sharing, transparent audits, and real penalties for misuse. We can give law enforcement the tools to pursue criminals without treating every law-abiding citizen as a suspect.”
Sen. Rose’s comments come as West Virginia lawmakers consider legislation addressing Flock and other automated license plate reader systems ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
