(The Center Square) – One Virginia law enforcement agency reported keeping data from mobile license plate cameras for 90 days, more than four times the 21 days state law generally allows.

The Virginia State Crime Commission presented the finding Thursday in a report based on its August survey. Seven agencies reported keeping license plate reader data beyond 21 days, down from 33 in the previous survey.

Virginia law generally requires agencies to delete the records 21 days after a camera captures them. Agencies must keep records longer if they are part of an ongoing investigation, prosecution or civil case.

Six agencies reported keeping data from fixed cameras for 27 to 30 days.

The report did not identify which agency reported keeping mobile camera data for 90 days.

The seven agencies were the Covington Police Department, the Page and Surry county sheriff’s offices, and the police departments in Boones Mill, Cedar Bluff, Parksley and Victoria.

The report did not explain why the agencies reported retention periods longer than 21 days or say whether any of the records qualified for an exception under state law.

The commission heard from 351 of 359 agencies, up from 251 of 361 in the previous survey. Of the 191 agencies that reported using plate readers, 165 named Flock Safety, making it the most common vendor in the survey.

Commission staff cautioned that the survey may no longer reflect current practices because some agencies have paused, ended or reconsidered their use of the cameras.

Henrico County said in a public update that its crews took down more than 120 Flock cameras Oct. 31. The county cited privacy concerns when it announced it was ending the contract.

Henrico ended the agreement Oct. 14, a month before it was set to expire. County purchasing records show the one-year term began Nov. 15, 2025, and was scheduled to end Nov. 14 at an annual rate of $2,575 per camera.

The county said it had asked Flock to remove the cameras by Oct. 21 and that the cameras had stopped collecting data before county crews took them down. About 25 to 30 workers started at opposite ends of Henrico and worked toward the middle, the county said.

Henrico said it would store the cameras until Flock picked them up. The poles were still in place when the county posted its update, and Henrico said Flock was responsible for removing them.

Under Virginia Code, agencies that use plate readers must send their first reports to Virginia State Police by April 1, 2027. They must also post the reports publicly, leaving out information that identifies people or cases.

The reports will show how often agencies searched their systems, how many vehicles police stopped based on camera alerts and how many instances of unauthorized use or access agencies found. The law sets July 1, 2027, as the deadline for the first statewide report from Virginia State Police.