(The Center Square) – Richmond will not renew its contract for Flock Safety license plate cameras.

Mayor Danny Avula announced the decision Saturday, following Henrico County’s move to end its agreement over privacy concerns. Richmond’s contract expires June 30.

Avula said Henrico’s departure makes Flock less useful for Richmond police because part of the technology’s value comes from working with neighboring agencies.

“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,” Avula said in a video announcement.

Richmond is still considering its broader use of automatic license plate readers. Avula said his team is organizing sessions to hear from residents affected by violence and those concerned about misuse or disproportionate policing.

Richmond police list 99 fixed Flock license plate readers across the city. The cameras collect information about vehicles traveling on public roads. Police say they help investigate violent crimes, recover stolen vehicles and find missing people.

In September, Avula directed police to shorten their data retention period from 21 days to seven days. He also said the city would consider other vendors and whether an independent review of its policies was needed.

Sen. Michael Jones, D-Richmond, welcomed the nonrenewal decision. His office is drafting legislation for the upcoming General Assembly session to strengthen privacy protections, increase accountability for misuse and require additional judicial oversight.

“Public safety and the constitutional rights of Virginians should never be competing priorities,” Jones said in a statement. “We can and must do both.”

Jones said residents deserve to know what information is collected, who can access it, how long it is kept and what happens when it is abused.

Henrico announced Tuesday that police would end their Flock contract within seven days. County officials said they were confident local police had used the information appropriately but remained concerned about potential misuse by others.

Henrico Communications Director Ben Sheppard said the county did not anticipate any cost to exit the contract. Its July renewal agreement included a 3% increase in the annual fee, bringing it to about $2,652 per camera.

Richmond police said a first-quarter audit found that a sergeant shared a vehicle image with an FBI agent investigating a homicide in Washington. Sharing the information violated department policy. The department removed the sergeant’s access to the system, and prosecutors declined to pursue charges.

Virginia’s statewide rules for police use of license plate readers took effect July 1, 2025. A Virginia State Crime Commission survey found some agencies reported giving out-of-state or federal agencies continuous access to their data. The commission said Virginia law prohibits that sharing.