Fairfax County police say their license plate reader program has contributed to 1,670 criminal cases and 947 arrests since launching in November 2022, the department announced on the program's four-year anniversary.
Officers and detectives using the technology have recovered 578 stolen vehicles valued at more than $9.4 million and nearly $800,000 in additional stolen property, the FCPD said. The investigations produced 2,692 criminal charges, including 1,776 felony charges.
The program also helped locate 60 missing persons and recover 68 firearms, and it assisted in 162 narcotics investigations.
Vienna-area residents have seen the technology at work. On Oct. 27, detectives used automated license plate readers to track a vehicle linked to a burglary on Karen Drive in Mantua, according to an FCPD report. The Real Time Crime Center located the suspect's car on Richmond Highway, leading to an arrest.
In March, an X post from the Town of Vienna Police account said Detective Brad Reedy and Vienna detectives used Flock LPR cameras and regional coordination to identify a suspect in a series of overnight burglaries along Maple Avenue. That suspect was charged with four counts of burglary and destruction of property.
Privacy safeguards and oversight
The FCPD said every LPR search is tied to a case number and permanently logged. An audit team reviews 100 percent of searches, and a separate artificial intelligence tool flags patterns based on preset criteria, according to the department's transparency page. A monthly report goes to the FCPD commander, who is barred from conducting searches.
Users who violate system rules must provide written justification, are removed from the system and must complete in-person retraining, the department said. The FCPD's policies prohibit using the technology for immigration enforcement.
The department uses LPR technology from three vendors: Axon, Flock Safety and Motorola. The FCPD operates 84 stationary Flock cameras and more than 700 Axon cameras mounted on police cruisers, as InsideNoVA reported in September.
Flock cameras under review
The anniversary announcement comes as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors continues to evaluate the Flock camera portion of the program. On Sept. 15, supervisors voted unanimously to pause installation of new stationary Flock cameras while reviewing privacy safeguards.
Board Chair Jeff McKay called the technology "a clear public safety benefit," InsideNoVA reported. McKay also said "broader concerns surrounding this technology warrant additional review and greater assurances from Flock Safety," according to Northern Virginia Magazine.
At an Oct. 20 Safety and Security Committee meeting, FCPD Major Hudson Bull said the cameras "have a direct impact on the public safety of Fairfax County," according to DC News Now. Board members raised questions about data storage, whether federal immigration authorities could access the system and the possibility of stalking individuals using the technology.
The committee took no votes at that meeting. The outcome of a subsequent full board meeting with a public comment period has not been reported in the available record.
Neighboring Arlington County voted in September to end its use of Flock cameras entirely. Supervisor Walter Alcorn wrote on X in October that he opposes Flock's cameras, saying the county "must avoid enabling a surveillance state."
Residents can learn more about the FCPD's LPR program at the department's Real Time Crime Center transparency page at fairfaxcounty.gov/police.
