Flock Camera Debate Draws 55 Speakers but No Resolution as Council Runs Out of Time

Richmond's City Council convened for a marathon session that stretched past six hours, anchored by a deeply divided public debate over whether to restore the city's deactivated Flock Safety surveillance cameras. The council never reached a vote — adjourning before deliberation could begin — leaving the cameras off. Elsewhere, members allocated $8.2 million in surplus funds to streets, pensions, and a new emergency pot for unhoused residents, and received a clean financial audit.

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More than 55 residents, advocates, union leaders, and nonprofit representatives packed the council chamber — or called in — to weigh in on whether Richmond should restore a suite of Flock Safety surveillance tools that Police Chief Timothy Simmons voluntarily deactivated in November 2025. The meeting adjourned before the council could deliberate or vote, leaving the automated license plate readers (ALPRs), CCTV cameras, and drone-as-first-responder program offline indefinitely.