Richmond City Council Approves Surveillance Camera Contract, Delays ALPR Decision Amid Data Security Concerns
The Richmond City Council has approved a renewed and expanded contract with Axon, an Arizona-based weapons and technology manufacturer, to serve as the city's primary surveillance system provider. This agreement, passed in a 5-2 vote, includes services for CCTV and drone operations, taking over from Flock Safety. However, the council has again delayed a decision on a separate contract for automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. This marks the second time the ALPR vote has been postponed, with councilmembers citing ongoing concerns about data protection, security, and the overall effectiveness of ALPR technology in preventing and solving crimes. Councilmember Soheila Bana emphasized the need for a secure data solution, acknowledging it might be complex and costly. The city has been seeking a new ALPR vendor since February, after Richmond Police Chief Tim Simmons disabled Flock's cameras due to concerns that enabling a 'national lookup' feature inadvertently allowed outside agencies access to Richmond...
