The City of Reno will not renew its contract with the controversial automatic license plate reader company Flock Safety, local officials confirmed to The Nevada Independent on Friday. 

City Manager Jackie Bryant informed the mayor and city council of the news on Thursday. She also said the city would not continue a contract with a company that dispatches a drone to a reported crime scene. 

KUNR first reported the news on Friday following a post on social media Thursday from Councilmember Devon Reese.

The ongoing Flock contract is set to last until mid-March, and the city chose to not let it automatically renew.

Bryant said city staff will present more information on a new contract at the council's next meeting on Oct. 21. Among other factors, the city wants the next company to ensure data remains under city control and that there are clear privacy guardrails and automatic audit trails that record searches and users.

"Our decision not to renew these agreements does not change our commitment to technology as an essential part of the future of public safety," Reno Police Chief Corey Solferino said in a statement. "Future decisions will focus on effective, integrated technology that strengthens public safety, supports coordination with our public safety partners, and provides enforceable safeguards for privacy, data sharing, transparency, and accountability."

Flock has been scrutinized by civil liberties experts nationwide for examples of alleged misuse by law enforcement and essentially enabling warrantless searches. The company deploys more than 80,000 automated license plate readers nationwide and plugs the information into a national database that law enforcement can use to search for a vehicle's identifying details. 

The Nevada Independent reported earlier this year that Reno operates at least 40 such cameras. The city has also reportedly blocked the release of records related to Flock camera usage.

In recent months, members of the public have urged city officials to end the contract with Flock.

Councilmember Naomi Duerr told The Indy on Friday that it's "about time" the contract ended. She added she was "so glad that the city's management heard our concerns and those of our constituents about Flock cameras."

The city council first authorized the city to begin a contract with Flock in November 2024 using $450,000 of pandemic relief funds.

Earlier this summer, the City of Sparks announced that they would be ending their contract with Flock Safety, opting to replace it with license plate reader technology from another company, Axon, which also automatically reads license plates. That new contract with Axon is set to last for five years and cost nearly $1 million.

Updated on 10/9/26 at 5:30 p.m. to add a statement from the Reno police chief.