Mom wants more Flock, credits cameras for finding stolen SUV and saving sons

RICHMOND, Va. — A Hopewell mother says Flock cameras are the only thing that relieved her anxiety after her SUV was stolen with her two young sons inside.

The terrifying 45-minute ordeal put her at the center of Richmond's growing debate over automatic license plate reader technology.

"It's like my world came crashing down," the mother told CBS 6.

Richmond police say the mother was visiting a friend at the Bramblewood Apartments in South Richmond on Sept. 21. When she turned away, she said a man jumped into her vehicle and drove off.

Her sons — a 1-month-old and a 3-year-old with autism — were inside.

"I chased after that car. I chased after that car until I couldn't chase no more," the mother told CBS 6.

The SUV traveled west on Jahkne Road and onto Route 150, where a Flock camera captured the license plate.

Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said he listened to the 911 call.

"I felt like I just wanted to jump through that phone and help her," Edwards said. "She's screaming, begging us for help, begging. She said, Send every police officer you go."

Edwards said the license plate capture set off a rapid response.

"We call the airplane up. We get Chesterfield, everyone looking for this car," Edwards said. "We finally get the accurate license plate and within minutes we determine it's in a certain area of Warwick [Road] and Fernbrook [Drive]. Our officers were out there with it within minutes, find those kids safe, and we end up making an arrest of an individual."

The mother said the experience has made her a firm supporter of the technology.

"I think they need to put more Flock cameras out. I think that should be everywhere," she said. "What if it was your child that was missing and the only way for someone to locate their car within a reasonable time before anything to happen was cameras that was put around the city that don't nobody know about?"

Richmond mayor orders changes amid growing privacy concerns

The rescue comes as Richmond Mayor Danny Avula has ordered immediate changes to how the city handles data collected by its automatic license plate readers and says he plans to reevaluate the city's relationship with Flock Safety, the company that provides the technology.

Avula directed the Richmond Police Department to reduce its data retention policy from 21 days to 7 days.

In a video posted to Instagram, Avula said a shift in public sentiment requires action.

"I think that the shift in public sentiment around Flock, which has been particularly acute in the last couple of months, is a sign that we need to reevaluate our relationship with Flock," Avula said. "I don't know exactly what that looks like, but I want to figure it out together with Richmonders, with our city council, and with our partners in the state legislature."

Avula said he still believes the technology is a valuable public safety tool.

"I believe that Flock, an automatic license plate reader or ALPR technology in general, is a legitimately useful tool that the Richmond Police Department uses to help keep our communities safe and to solve crimes," Avula said.

But he acknowledged the concerns raised by residents.

"I believe that there are real privacy concerns with both ALPR technology generally and with Flock, Richmond's vendor," Avula said. "I believe that people of color can often be overpoliced and over-surveilled."

State delegate calls for ban

At the state level, State Delegate Charlie Schmidt (D-Richmond) said he does not believe the technology has made Richmond safer and expressed outrage over documented cases of data misuse.

"I am deeply alarmed by cases from Virginia and across the nation detailing the misuse of data collected by these cameras," Schmidt said. "I believe this technology has sparked critical conversations about mass surveillance, government accountability, and the transparency public officials owe residents regarding public safety."

Schmidt is calling on the city to go further, saying opposition to the technology is widespread and bipartisan.

"I hear this regularly from my constituents, and it is reflected across the Commonwealth," Schmidt said. "At least 20 Virginia localities have already canceled their Flock contracts or banned use of this technology altogether. I believe Richmond should follow suit."

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