Arlington County’s board voted Tuesday to discontinue the of Flock cameras. The automated license plate readers (ALPRs) are being used by some county law enforcement agencies to track vehicles. But many community members have begun expressing privacy concerns about how the data is collected, used, and stored.
In a statement, Arlington’s board said it has directed the county’s manger to discontinue the use of 41 county-leased Flock cameras. It also ordered that all Flock-related equipment be removed and data not required for active criminal investigations be deleted.
“This decision reflects concerns raised by Arlington residents regarding the use of Flock technology,” chair Matt de Ferranti said in the statement. “While Arlington has maintained strong safeguards to prevent the abuse of this technology throughout its use by the County, and there has been no report of misuse to date, the County Board takes seriously our obligation to maintain our community’s trust. The Board, the Manager, and our Public Safety staff will continue to evaluate the tools and technologies we use to ensure they align with the values and expectations of Arlington’s residents.”
Fairfax County Pauses Flock Installations
Also on Tuesday, Fairfax County’s Board of Supervisors voted to pause any new Flock camera installations, FOX5 reported.
“While the Fairfax County Police Department has safeguards governing its use of Flock Safety ALPRs, and there have been no identified instances of misuse by FCPD, I believe the broader concerns surrounding this technology warrant additional review and greater assurances from Flock Safety,” Board Chair Jeff McKay said.
The vote comes amid privacy concerns from resident groups including DeFlock Fairfax, organized by Matthew Lofgren. Lofgren says the tracking information Flock provides is a big problem.
“The simple fact of tracking every single car’s movements, everywhere they go, is itself a violation of privacy,” Lofgren says. “There is no suspicion of guilt. There’s no warrant required for this. It’s shared with hundreds of other agencies. It’s a gross violation of privacy.”
Fairfax County’s Police Department has been using Flock cameras since 2022. FCPD says the technology has helped them file charges in 1,700 cases, including in a homicide. And that it’s also helped them recover more than 500 stolen cars and locate 57 missing people.
“The potential misuse or abuse of technology is a serious concern and requires meaningful safeguards and oversight,” FCPD said in a statement. “FCPD has approached LPR technology with that responsibility in mind.”
Other Virginia Localities
According to DeFlock Fairfax, officials in the cities of Staunton and Charlottesville, the towns of Elkton and Warrenton, and Floyd County have decided to cut ties with Flock and other ALPR providers.
The Town of Dumfries voted September 1 to deactivate its Flock cameras until it can gather public feedback about privacy concerns.
And Alexandria’s Mayor Alyia Gaskins reportedly stated, “I do not think there’s a role for Flock in this community,” at a September 8 city council meeting. Other council members also spoke out about the use of the technology. Officials plan to review the issue and consider alternative to Flock cameras, WTOP reported.
Feature image courtesy Flock Safety
