A set of 25 new license plate cameras are scheduled to go live in Arlington in coming weeks.
The cameras, from the surveillance company Flock Safety, provide more information than the county’s existing license plate readers, which have been in use since 2012.
While current tech just takes photos of license plates, the new cameras “capture additional vehicle characteristics,” Arlington County Police Department spokesperson Ashley Savage told ARLnow. This includes make, model and features like bumper stickers or vehicle damage — all intended to help law enforcement identify leads in criminal investigations.
ACPD has also acquired six “pan-tilt-zoom” cameras, which “provide increased situational awareness to officers as they respond to reported incidents occurring in our community.”
None of the cameras capture personal or driver information.
“The Flock Safety program is an additional tool designed to provide officers with efficient, real-time information to help identify, prevent and solve criminal activity,” a press release says.
In total, the new cameras cost $106,250 and come with an annual fee of $93,000, which covers maintenance, data security and customer service, Savage said.
ACPD never formally presented on this initiative at an Arlington County Board meeting, but the agency “has discussed the program with Arlington County Government officials,” Savage said.
The County Board set aside funding “for cameras and associated technology” back in 2023, as “part of a suite of technology improvements … to target multiple areas of public safety concern in the community,” county spokesperson David Barrera told ARLnow.
The Board approved $79,000 in closeout funds, and the remainder of funding for the cameras came from seized assets.
“While the decision to select Flock technology for these upgrades ultimately was an administrative decision, the Board was briefed on the reasons for that decision,” Barrera said.
These briefings occured back in October, which was when ARLnow first reported on the cameras after multiple tipsters pointed out devices installed along Fairfax Drive in Ballston.
Up to now, the tech hasn’t been “fully operational,” as officers are expected to receive training on the cameras “around late January,” the ACPD press release says.
Flock Safety coordinates a national network of surveillance technology meant to assist law enforcement in solving crimes.
“The Flock Safety LPR system provides officers with real-time alerts when stolen vehicles, stolen license plates and vehicles associated with wanted persons, missing persons or felony criminal incidents pass by the cameras,” the press release says. “Each search within Flock Safety’s operating system requires a recorded justification, which is regulated by department policy and verifiable through audits.”
Flock Safety data is stored on a cloud server, and unless it relates to a criminal investigation, it is deleted after 30 days. The data can’t be sold or shared with anyone outside of law enforcement, the release says.
Moreover, according to ACPD, the cameras are not used for traffic enforcement and do not send an alert for infractions such as expired vehicle registrations, driver’s license violations or unpaid parking tickets.
Despite these guardrails, Flock Safety has been subject to some scrutiny over the years.
This past October, the city of Norfolk was sued in federal court by residents raising privacy concerns. And just last week, the Virginia Crime Commission voted to pursue new statewide regulations for license plate readers.
Del. Charniele Herring (D-Alexandria), majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, has introduced a proposal to increase transparency and restrict the contexts in which law enforcement can use the cameras.
ACPD anticipates increasing the number of Flock Safety license plate readers and pan-tilt-zoom cameras in the future, but police “have no finalized plans at this time,” Savage said.
Ongoing costs associated with the cameras will be included in the police department’s operating budget moving forward.
