Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn told colleagues Tuesday, Oct. 20, he would vote to end Fairfax County's contract with Flock Safety. The company operates 84 license plate reader cameras across the county.

"If I were voting today … I would vote to end the contract with that vendor," Alcorn said at the Board of Supervisors Safety and Security Committee meeting, as first reported by FFXnow.

In a statement released the same day, Alcorn said Flock's data is not encrypted and not managed on a private or closed network. He said he is not convinced the data the county collects is safe from misuse by others.

The committee took no formal action. The nearly two-hour session drew members of the group DeFlock Fairfax, who held whiteboards with messages including "End ALPRs," WTOP reported. The county also operates roughly 120 privately owned Flock cameras in addition to the 84 police units, according to FFXnow.

Three paths forward

County staff presented three options for the program's future, according to Alcorn's statement:

  • Maintain the current program while evaluating other vendors and data-sharing practices
  • Maintain the current program while testing and evaluating new vendors that comply with state law and department policy
  • Become a closed network with no data sharing outside Fairfax County while maintaining access to privately owned cameras, then evaluate results in one year

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez asked why a fourth option, ending license plate readers entirely, was not included. Deputy County Executive Tom Arnold, who oversees safety and security, predicted that route would increase crime but acknowledged the Board could pursue it, WTOP reported.

Police defend the technology

Fairfax County Police Department Maj. Hudson Bull, who heads the Real Time Crime Center, called the cameras "an essential law enforcement tool," according to FFXnow. Since November 2022, the department said the readers have led to 938 arrests, 573 stolen vehicles recovered and nearly $9.8 million in stolen property returned.

Police Chief Kevin Davis said anything shorter than the current 21-day maximum data retention period, set by a 2025 state law, could affect investigations, WTOP reported.

Bull said the department recently cut the number of personnel with data access from 821 to 296, mostly by removing patrol officers, according to FFXnow.

Supervisors split on next steps

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity urged caution. He said too little attention was paid to the cameras' role in solving and preventing crime, according to FFXnow.

Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik pushed back on the police presentation, saying key information was still missing. Supervisor Jimmy Bierman raised concerns about security vulnerabilities, saying other agencies across the country had discovered unauthorized back-door access to their systems, WTOP reported.

Alcorn proposed that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which already coordinates regional law enforcement agreements, could lead a broader discussion about digital policing in the region.

The Fairfax County School Board voted Sept. 24 to ban license plate readers from school property, citing civil liberties and privacy concerns, according to FFXnow. The Board of Supervisors had already paused new camera installations in September.

Board Chair Jeff McKay said the next step is for supervisors to submit questions to county staff, who will compile answers and distribute them to the full board.