Redmond votes to end Flock license-plate reader program

The Redmond City Council voted unanimously on July 21, 2026, to terminate the city’s contract with Flock Safety and end Redmond’s automated license-plate reader program.

The 7-0 action formally closes the program after months of review. It does not represent a newly imposed operational shutdown: Redmond’s 24-camera network had already been suspended since November 2025.

What the council approved

The council’s action ends the city’s agreement with Flock Safety and the associated automated license-plate reader, or ALPR, program. The official legislation record identifies the July 21 vote as the final disposition of the measure.

ALPR systems use cameras and software to capture and compare license-plate information. Redmond said the program was intended to assist investigations involving stolen vehicles, missing people and serious crimes.

The cameras were already inactive

Redmond says the system was suspended in November 2025 and was not collecting data during the suspension. The immediate effect of the council’s vote is therefore primarily contractual and administrative rather than a new halt to active camera operations.

The city has not said that all cameras have already been removed. Instead, staff are developing a closeout plan with Flock Safety. That plan is expected to address the timing of camera removal, data-handling steps and other obligations connected to ending the contract.

What is confirmed about data access

In its public update, Redmond said ALPR data was not shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was not accessed by unauthorized federal agencies. Those statements describe the city’s account of how the program’s data was handled.

The available records do not state that historical data has been deleted or provide a final procedure or date for data closeout. Residents should look for a future city update before assuming that equipment removal or contract termination has completed every data-related step.

What happens next

The closeout plan remains the main unresolved implementation issue. City records point to questions involving camera removal, data treatment and grant-related funding, but they do not establish a final cost, savings amount or grant obligation.

The decision also leaves an open public-safety question. Redmond identified stolen vehicles, missing people and serious crimes as intended investigative uses for the system, but the city has not identified a fully equivalent replacement. Future cases in those categories may require other investigative methods.

Redmond’s decision comes amid broader concerns in Washington about license-plate data retention, protected locations, information sharing and investigative access. KUOW has reported on law-enforcement pauses and compliance questions tied to newer state restrictions. Redmond’s vote is a city contract decision, not a statewide termination of ALPR programs.

For residents, the key takeaway is that Redmond has formally decided to end the program, while the practical details of equipment removal and data closeout are still pending.

Sources

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