Charlotte is shopping for a new license plate reader system after relying on the same technology for more than a decade.

The city published a Request for Proposals on Wednesday, Sept. 9, asking companies to bid on replacing the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Automated License Plate Reader system, WSOC-TV reported. Proposals are due Monday, Oct. 5.

A city spokesperson said CMPD's current system has been in place for more than 10 years and that evolving technology and operational needs prompted the competitive procurement.

The RFP calls for a system with improved accuracy, a centralized management platform, real-time alerting, vehicle analytics and compatibility with both CMPD and third-party law enforcement databases. The winning vendor would handle installation, user training and ongoing maintenance.

No contract value or camera count appeared in the publicly available documents. The city said the final implementation timeline will depend on which solution is chosen.

The procurement comes as plate reader technology draws scrutiny across the region. CMPD does not own or operate any Flock Safety cameras in Charlotte but has agreements allowing officers to access Flock databases at other agencies, according to WSOC-TV. A CMPD officer was arrested after allegedly using the Flock database to search a license plate for personal reasons, the Charlotte Observer reported. Flock shortened its default data-retention period from 30 days to seven days after public backlash, though the period can be extended for authorized investigations or as required by law.

Residents can view the full RFP on Charlotte's procurement portal at charlottenc.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/225784.