Archive · 20 Sep 2025
Virginia Man Sues City Over License Plate Reader Surveillance
Imagine robots with cameras that take pictures of car license plates.
In Norfolk, Virginia, these robots took pictures of a man's license plate over 500 times in a few months!
He thinks this is too much watching and that it's not fair to his privacy.
He and another person are suing the city, saying the robots are spying on them.
The cameras are run by a company called Flock Safety, and the city has paid them a lot of money to use them.
They want the cameras turned off and the information about their cars deleted.
A Virginia man sued the city of Norfolk over excessive license plate reader surveillance.
The man's license plate was scanned 526 times in four months.
Another plaintiff, Arrington, had her car scanned 849 times in less than five months.
The plaintiffs claim the surveillance violates their Fourth Amendment rights.
Norfolk has a $2.2 million contract with Flock Safety for the cameras.
- Who
- Lee Schmidt and Crystal Arrington are suing the city of Norfolk.
- What
- They are suing the city over the use of license plate readers.
- When
- Between February 19 and July 2, Schmidt's plate was scanned 526 times.
- Where
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Why
- They allege the constant surveillance is excessive and violates their privacy.
- Plaintiffs
- Lee Schmidt and Crystal Arrington
- Location
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Number of scans (Schmidt)
- 526 in four months
- Number of scans (Arrington)
- 849 in less than five months
- Cameras
- 176 ALPR cameras
- Company
- Flock Safety
- Contract Value
- $2.2 million (through 2027)