Debate continues over Richmond's use of Flock cameras

"My highest priorities have always been clear: protecting the safety of residents, improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and ensuring everyone who lives in and visits Richmond can do so safely and confidently. I firmly believe that there is a path forward where we can protect our residents from physical harm while also safeguarding their privacy."

"Richmond's partnership with Flock, one of the largest surveillance technology companies in the nation, has steadily grown since 2023, culminating in a contract worth $2 million and more than 150 cameras installed across the city. A majority of those cameras have been disabled since October, a decision police Chief Tim Simmons said he made after learning the system had a national lookup feature."

"Other Bay Area jurisdictions have either canceled their contracts with Flock in part due to data security concerns or are in the process of reviewing the relationship, including Mountain View, Santa Clara County, San Jose, and Alameda County. There's no evidence that the city's data has been accessed by outside agencies, Simmons said."

Richmond partnered with Flock Safety, a major surveillance technology company, installing over 150 cameras across the city under a $2 million contract since 2023. Police Chief Tim Simmons disabled most cameras in October after discovering the system had a national lookup feature allowing any agency using Flock to access Richmond's license plate data. Other Bay Area jurisdictions including San Jose, Mountain View, and Santa Clara County have canceled or are reviewing their Flock contracts due to similar data security concerns. Simmons confirmed no unauthorized access has occurred and that Flock disabled the national lookup feature in California while prohibiting data sharing across state lines. He proposes extending the contract through December with the option to reactivate cameras, contingent on Flock paying $290,000 penalties for unauthorized disclosures.

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