Richmond City Council approves $1 million contract expansion with license plate camera company Flock
In a split vote, the Richmond City Council approved a $1 million amendment to a contract with Flock Safety on Tuesday, expanding the city’s use of automated license plate readers and pan-tilt-zoom cameras for city facilities and streets.
District 1 Councilmember Jamelia Brown, Richmond’s new Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda, District 3 Councilmember Doria Robinson, and District 4 Councilmember Soheila Bana voted for the contract expansion.
All members of the Richmond Progressive Alliance — Mayor Eduardo Martinez, District 6 Councilmember Claudia Jimenez, and District 5 Councilmember Sue Wilson — voted no. The RPA recently lost its majority on the council.
During a 2023 council meeting, discussing a previous contract extension with Flock, councilmembers expressed concern about the cameras but ultimately unanimously approved the extension.
Soren Hemmila
Wilson, who pulled the item from the consent calendar, requested a breakdown of the additional funding allocation, layman’s explanations of the new technologies, assurances that the technologies wouldn’t violate sanctuary policies, information on drone policies, and clarity on the budgetary source.
Richmond Police Department staff sought additional funding to expand its automated license Plate reader and CCTV program to include city facilities, such as the corporation yard, the employment and training building, libraries, parks, recreation centers, and Civic Center Plaza. It will install additional Flock cameras on city streets to combat illegal dumping, sideshows, and encampments.
According to the agenda report, with additional funding, police department staff would like to purchase two mobile CCTV trailers for temporary assignments at special events or hotspot locations, add additional software required to support the camera expansion, add a Flock OS fusion center that will allow police staff to monitor all cameras from a secure location at the police department and replace the current CCTV room.
Soren Hemmila
The total contract, now $2.03 million, runs through February 2026 and incorporates new tools like drone technology, gunshot detection, and screeching tire detection.
During the meeting, Richmond Police Chief Bisa French said that the contract amendment will enable the City of Richmond to replace its outdated CCTV systems and implement new technologies to address evolving crime trends and community concerns.
“Some of the technologies are gunshot and sideshows screeching tire detection,” French said. “They’re both newer technologies, as well as the mobile trailer with pan tilt zoom and ALPR readers, and drone as a first responder.”
Police officials are considering the Flock Safety system to replace the city’s existing gunshot detection contract, citing its affordability.
Flock’s gunshot detection system is similar to the city’s Sound Thinking system, formerly known as ShotSpotter. Flock now offers gunshot detection, and it has an enhanced use, according to French.
With automatic license plate reader cameras, Flock’s system could detect screeching tires at sideshows and coordinate gunshot detection. If a shooting occurs, the system will capture nearby license plate data, allowing authorities to track fleeing vehicles and follow up on incidents.
Additionally, a “drone as a first responder” program is under review to enhance public safety efforts.
Richmond Police Captain Eric Smith said Flock’s drone as a first responder technology could significantly improve responses to in-progress incidents.
While officers currently drive across town to emergencies, drones can reach scenes within an average of 86 seconds and cover a 12 to 15-mile radius.
“An officer can’t drive there in 86 seconds,” Smith said. “In the event of a critical incident, we can deploy the drone and get instant footage back to either a command center or to responding officers to give them an idea of what they’re actually responding to.”
The department requesting additional cameras will be responsible for funding and payment, while the Police Department staff will handle the implementation of the cameras.
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