Canceled
Who approved this?
Approved 1-2 by Roanoke City Council on April 20, 2026.
Roanoke City Council voted 5 to 2 on April 20, 2026 to approve encroachment permits for 75 Flock Raven devices. These are audio sensors that listen for gunshots. They are not license plate readers, so no camera count is given. The purchase used $57,040 in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant money over two years, with no city cost beyond the grant. Vice Mayor Terry McGuire and Councilman Nick Hagen voted no. Installation was paused in June 2026 after 30 devices went up in the wrong places, which City Manager Valmarie Turner attributed to data entry errors in sensor addresses, including Orange Ave. typed as Grange Ave. Council voted unanimously in July 2026 to repeal the April ordinance, and all 41 installed devices were removed. Cardinal News reported on July 6, 2026 that it was unclear whether the grant money could be reused, and that Roanoke still had 27 other Flock devices, 26 license plate readers and one live video camera.
| Official (as recorded) | Office | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| 5 members, names not listed in the source | Roanoke City Council member | Yes |
| Terry McGuire | Vice Mayor of Roanoke | No |
| Nick Hagen | Roanoke City Council member | No |
Roanoke ended its Flock contract
Contract ended April 20, 2026.
The money
- Contract amount: $57,040
- Term: 24 months
- Funding source: JAG grant
What happens next
This decision already happened in public; the record and its sources are above. If the community revisits the question, that decision would follow the same public process: a noticed meeting, public comment, and a recorded outcome, all through official channels.
Sources
- WDBJ7: Roanoke City Council approves gunshot detection devices throughout the city (April 20, 2026) wdbj7.com
- Cardinal News: Debate ensues as Roanoke considers Flock gunshot detectors (April 27, 2026) cardinalnews.org
- Cardinal News: After complaints and mistakes, Roanoke City Council votes to discontinue gunshot audio devices (July 6, 2026) cardinalnews.org
Last verified: September 7, 2026. Something wrong? Request a correction.
The record
Roanoke City Council approved this Flock contract on April 20, 2026. The tally: 1 yes, 2 no, and the motion failed. The named yes votes: 5 members, names not listed in the source. Voting no: Terry McGuire, Nick Hagen. The path was a council vote. Roanoke Police Department operates the program.
Public records put the cost at $57,040. It covers 2 years. It was paid for via Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant of $57,040 over two years. WDBJ7 reported the devices carried no cost to the city beyond the grant, with installation covered under the vendor contract..
The contract ended as canceled.
3 sources back this record; each is listed with its date under Sources. Last verified September 7, 2026. The Virginia hub holds the state records; the tracker holds them all.
Cite this record
Who Approved This, "Roanoke, VA Flock Contract," whoapprovedthis.org, accessed October 10, 2026, https://whoapprovedthis.org/city/va-roanoke/.
Related
Read on
- All 41 Virginia records
- What the Virginia file shows
- Every named vote on the tracker
- What these terms mean
- What state law does to a contract
- Norfolk, VA Active
- Suffolk, VA Active
- Richmond, VA Active
- Camera locations near Roanoke: DeFlock (external, crowdsourced)
- Agency transparency portal, if published: transparency.flocksafety.com; aggregated at Eyes on Flock