Harrisonburg directs attorney to draft ALPR ban
By ยท Updated 1 Oct 2026
10 September 2026. [AI first draft. Verify every fact against the source before publishing.]
Harrisonburg City Council on September 9, 2026, directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance that would prohibit the city from buying, installing, maintaining, or operating automatic license plate readers. The action follows the council's recent vote to terminate its contract with Flock Safety. Council members said they wanted to embed the decision into city law so that future councils would have to formally reconsider the issue through two readings before potentially reversing course.
Mayor Deanna Reed stated the ordinance would signal to residents that such cameras are not welcome in Harrisonburg. Vice Mayor Dany Fleming noted that the council had passed its original policy against license plate readers unanimously and that the ordinance would formalize that existing position. Fleming acknowledged that state law limits what an ordinance can require of future councils, saying that while some ordinances require public hearings for repeal, ordinances on matters other than zoning or financial issues do not carry that automatic protection. City Attorney Chris Brown clarified that the ordinance would apply only to city operations and could not restrict private businesses from using their own automatic license plate recognition systems, nor could it permanently bind future councils.
The broader context reflects growing municipal reconsideration of ALPR technology. Fleming noted that communities across the state and nation are removing similar cameras, citing civil liberties concerns raised by residents. Fleming also observed that technology is advancing faster than policy and ethics discussions can address, underscoring the need to weigh technological benefits against potential harms. The ordinance is scheduled to return to council for consideration on September 22, 2026.
Residents and observers can check their own local councils' camera contracts by requesting council meeting agendas, voting records, and any existing policies on automatic license plate readers, as well as monitoring when renewal or termination decisions are scheduled.
Read the original reporting: whsv.com.
Related record: Harrisonburg, Virginia in the jurisdictions directory.