Richmond approves 2026-27 budget with continued funding for Flock camera system despite public oppos

Our Take

WRIC ABC 8News' report on Richmond's budget vote is a textbook case of how ALPR funding survives: not through a standalone debate on surveillance policy, but buried inside a massive line-item budget where it's easy for council members to wave through without real scrutiny. Residents showed up to oppose it, and the money got approved anyway. That's not an accident — it's how these systems get entrenched, one budget cycle at a time, until "we already paid for it" becomes the excuse for never revisiting whether it should exist at all.

What should worry Richmond residents isn't just the price tag, it's the precedent. Once a city locks in recurring funding for Flock's subscription model, the cameras aren't going anywhere without a fight, and every renewal makes removal politically harder. Public comment at a council meeting is supposed to mean something; when it's treated as a formality before a predetermined vote, that's a signal the oversight structure around this technology is broken, not just in Richmond but in cities across the country running the same playbook.

Credit to WRIC for covering this instead of letting it pass as routine municipal business. If you want to see whether Richmond's cameras — or ones near you — are part of this growing network, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back at your own city council, our take-action page has the tools to get started.