Police chief defends Flock ALPR system as council presses on privacy, data sharing and contract terms

Chief Ramsey opened the police presentation by urging a fact-based local discussion and noting recent national incidents where some cameras were vandalized. He described Christiansburg's ALPR deployment and operational policy, repeatedly stressing limitations of the local system and legal safeguards.

"Our cameras do not issue tickets. Period. They simply don't do it," Ramsey said, specifying that the town's cameras capture high-resolution still images of the rear of vehicles, store that data for a 21-day period (longer if material is downloaded as evidence), and maintain ownership and control over access under state law. He said the system does not record audio, does not run facial recognition, and is not a live-stream video system; instead, it is a searchable database that investigators use after crimes occur.

Ramsey cited recent court rulings (for example, Schmidt v. City of Norfolk) in which courts found similar ALPR programs did not constitute a Fourth-Amendment search, and he said the department runs internal audits and uses the vendor's security features, including multi-factor authentication and audit trails. He reported there are roughly 61 65 cameras across the New River Valley and "we have six in Christiansburg," and that the program has produced investigative leads "about one case a week" on average.

Council members pressed on contract terms, vendor licensing changes, grant reimbursements and whether independent third-party audits should be required. Several council members and community advocates cited national reports of misuse or vulnerabilities and asked how the town can guarantee that data remains under municipal control and unavailable for prohibited uses (for example, immigration-enforcement searches). Ramsey said state law restricts sharing and that the department will publish the transparency portal and plain-English contract summary if needed. The session included an extended Q&A in which council members requested additional documentation on contract language, vendor terms and audit reports.

What comes next: Council asked staff to provide the full vendor contract, recent audit results, grant-reimbursement details and a plain-English explanation of data ownership and access; several members said they may request independent audit options before renewing contracts.