License plate reader cameras deployed across Reston and the rest of Fairfax County are facing a challenge from a new advocacy group that wants them removed.

DeFlock Fairfax, founded by software engineer and privacy advocate Will Freeman, is calling on the Board of Supervisors to end the county's contract with Flock Safety and take down all 84 fixed cameras installed at locations throughout the county. The group will host a public forum titled "The Road to Mass Surveillance" on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 1–3 p.m. at Ravensworth Baptist Church, 5100 Ravensworth Road in Annandale, according to Annandale Today.

The Flock cameras are solar-powered, pole-mounted readers that capture license plates, vehicle color, make, model and distinguishing features such as bumper stickers. They do not record video. Images are stored on a cloud server for 30 days before being permanently deleted, according to FCPD's transparency page.

The department says the technology works. Through July 1, the license plate reader program contributed to 1,503 criminal investigations, recovered 528 stolen vehicles valued at nearly $8.75 million, led to 870 arrests, recovered 64 firearms and located 56 missing people, according to the Fairfax County Times.

Critics say the cameras amount to warrantless mass tracking.

"Normal red-blooded Americans don't like knowing their movements can be tracked at any time without a warrant," Matthew Lofgren, speaking on behalf of Herndon Friends Meeting, told the Board of Supervisors at an April 16 public hearing on the program.

DeFlock Fairfax cites concerns over data sharing, oversight and civil liberties. The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO reported that audit logs showed at least 50 searches across five Virginia localities, including Fairfax County, referencing federal agencies or immigration-related terms between June 2024 and April 2025. FCPD disputed the characterization, saying those searches were conducted by partner agencies, not its own officers.

In a July 8 statement, FCPD said every search must be tied to a documented public safety purpose and that all queries are automatically logged and audited monthly. The department has also said it does not share data with federal authorities for immigration enforcement.

FCPD operates the 84 Flock cameras alongside 712 Axon Fleet 3 readers mounted on most patrol cruisers, including those at the Reston District Station. The county has used license plate reader technology from Axon, Flock Safety and Motorola since November 2022, and the Board of Supervisors approved a $136,270 federal grant in November 2023 to expand the program.

The Aug. 22 forum is free and open to the public. More information is available at deflock.org. Residents who want to contact FCPD about the program can reach Public Affairs at 703-246-7800.