Richmond will not renew Flock license plate reader contract, mayor says

RICHMOND, Va. — The City of Richmond will not renew its contract with Flock when the agreement comes up for renewal, according to an announcement from Mayor Danny Avula.

In a message to residents, Avula said the decision follows a commitment made last month to gather community feedback and carefully evaluate the city's use of automatic license plate reader, or ALPR, technology.

Avula said neighboring Henrico County's decision to end its contract with Flock also played a role in his decision.

Watch previous: Henrico cancels Flock camera contract, citing privacy concerns

"Now that Henrico has decided to end their contract with Flock, it clarifies the picture for me because Flock specifically is now less useful as a tool," Avula said. "Crime doesn't stop and start at the city-county line, and part of what makes this technology a useful crime-solving tool is our ability to work together with our regional partners."

He added that he is encouraged to see other localities weighing the issue as well.

"I'm encouraged to see that the region is joining us in grappling with this issue, an issue that is clearly so important to so many residents," Avula said.

While the city has decided not to renew its agreement with Flock, officials said the broader conversation about the use of ALPR technology is ongoing.

“The commitment I made to you all last month was to listen well and make a full, community-informed decision about the City’s use of ALPR technology,” Avula said in the post. “So, while I’ve made a decision about the Flock contract, we have more work to do to ensure we’ve heard from residents who care deeply about this issue.”

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