The city that fought Flock

<figure> <img alt="Close portrait of Rufus holding “Sign the petition here” sign." data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="Photography: Chris Alo for The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/268752_Flock_camera_photos_CAlo_25.jpeg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph">It was about to be a long night in Huntington, West Virginia.</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mayor Patrick Farrell stood before 10 members of city council in a white dress shirt and dark blazer studded with an American flag pin. Behind him sat his constituents and residents from neighboring towns. Some had their arms crossed, while others held a steady glare in his direction. Less than a week before the July 13th meeting, a 33-year-old named Jackie Harper had been shot and killed in Huntington. It was the kind of crime Farrell had promised to get under control. But a breakthrough in the case just days after the killing suggested something promising to Farrell. Harper's s …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/features/1017836/flock-huntington-west-virginia-surveillance-ballot-measure">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>