Staunton, Virginia, is terminating its contract with Flock Safety and removing six automated license plate readers (ALPRs) following public opposition and a controversial email from the Flock CEO. Police Chief Jim Williams disagreed with CEO Garrett Langley’s characterization of ALPR opponents as activists aiming to “normalize lawlessness.” Williams emphasized that citizens were exercising their democratic rights to question surveillance technology. The city echoed this sentiment, stating the CEO’s narrative didn’t align with Staunton’s values, despite acknowledging previous successes with the ALPRs. Residents celebrated the decision as a victory for privacy and called for ordinances requiring public debate before future surveillance tech adoption. Charlottesville also recently removed its Flock cameras.