The Charlottesville Police Department (CPD) will present a community update this month on its use of Flock cameras, which can detect vehicles and read license plates utilizing artificial intelligence.
The cameras have been in use in Charlottesville for the past 12 months as a pilot program, and are used by law enforcement to search for suspects and help solve crimes, according to CPD’s Transparency portal. Data is retained for seven days.
Flock is an Atlanta-based, private company that provides hardware and software, including cameras and drones, used by law enforcement agencies, businesses, neighborhood associations and homeowner’s associations. Flock’s technology is in use in 49 states, and the company has partnered with over 5,000 law enforcement agencies, according to the company’s website.
The Flock system has been facing pushback on the national and state level, as people were concerned it could be used for surveillance or be used by federal law enforcement agencies for immigration enforcement, even though these are not permitted by Flock’s policy. Read more about Flock cameras here in reporting from Cardinal News.
In June, CPD chose to disconnect Charlottesville’s system from outside law enforcement agencies after hearing these concerns, CBS19 News Reported.
Since its implementation last year, the program has been audited internally and externally by the executive director of the Police Civilian Oversight Board (PCOB). No violations or cases of misuse were found, the PCOB Executive Director James Walker said in a news release.
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Learn more about license plate-reading cameras used by Charlottesville Police
The Charlottesville Police Department plans to share updates about its 12-month pilot program using automated license plate-reader technology during upcoming community meetings in each of the department’s three patrol districts:
- North District: Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at 7:00 p.m., Rose Hill Community Meeting, 1104 Forest Street, Charlottesville
- South District: Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., Fifeville Community Meeting, Tonsler Park Community Center, 500 Cherry Ave., Charlottesville
- Central District: Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 at 6:00 p.m., Friends of Downtown Community Meeting, CitySpace, 100 5th St NE, Charlottesville
Learn more about Flock use and policy at Flock Safety – Charlottesville VA PD Transparency Portal.
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