Reno will not renew Flock contract when it expires in 2027

Reno has notified Flock Safety that it will not automatically renew the company’s contract for license-plate-reader technology when the current term ends. The agreement expires March 17, 2027.

City Manager Jackie Bryant sent the notice on Oct. 8, according to reporting by KUNR and the Reno Gazette Journal. Councilmember Kathleen Taylor announced the decision at a town hall that evening, and Councilmember Devon Reese echoed it the next morning.

The notice concerns renewal after the existing term; it does not mean the contract has already expired or that the cameras have been shut off. Reno had not announced a replacement vendor by Oct. 13. The next decision is whether the city will continue using license-plate-reader technology under another agreement.

Privacy concerns and public-safety arguments

Residents raised privacy and constitutional-rights objections during public comment, KOLO reported. Those comments reflect residents’ concerns, not a legal finding. Councilmember Brandi Anderson argued that video footage is an important tool for solving crimes and for personal and business security.

Daniel Jenkins, representing the Northern Nevada Democratic Socialists of America, supported ending the Flock agreement but warned that a different vendor could offer similar license-plate-reader technology, KUNR reported. The disagreement highlights that ending this contract does not, by itself, determine whether Reno will use the technology in the future. Councilmember Reese said the council would consider next steps, including a possible new contract and stronger standards.

The city has also given notice concerning its separate BRINC/Motorola drone subscription, which KUNR described as covering police drones and Drone as First Responder software. That agreement is separate from the Flock contract.

Replacement contract could come before council

Reno Gazette Journal reporting said city staff planned to ask the City Council on Oct. 21 to consider a contract with a different vendor. The meeting was still in the future as of Oct. 13. The city’s council-memo page lists draft materials for that date and cautions that agenda items may be changed or removed before the final agenda is posted.

A city spokesperson told the Reno Gazette Journal that future technology decisions would focus on public safety, privacy safeguards, data sharing, transparency and accountability. The reported October item was a planned request for council consideration, not an approved replacement contract.