The Richmond Police Department announced it is pausing its automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system after a “system configuration error” briefly allowed limited access by outside law enforcement agencies, according to a community update from the department.
The RPD said it plans to reactivate the cameras when Flock Safety strengthens data protections.
Run by Flock Safety since 2023, the ALPR system uses cameras to automatically scan and record license plates on passing vehicles. Police say the system has helped in hundreds of criminal investigations, including alerts on stolen vehicles and wanted vehicles, and has supported arrests and homicide cases by identifying suspect cars. Without such data, many of these serious investigations “would most likely remain unsolved,” the department said.
Flock Safety notified Richmond police of the configuration error earlier this year, according to RPD. The department said the error did not give full access to the system by outside agencies, and that the vendor alerted them as soon as the problem was identified. RPD says it retains ALPR data for 30 days and officials say there is no evidence that any external law enforcement agency viewed or misused Richmond’s information, including for immigration enforcement.
Richmond’s ALPR policies also specifically prohibit use for immigration enforcement and block federal agencies from accessing the data.
