Fairfax County police say artificial intelligence-powered traffic cameras have helped solve thousands of cases.
But a new watchdog group wants them removed immediately.
DeFlock Fairfax said the license plate-reading cameras collect driver data without a warrant and fears some information is shared with out-of-state and federal law enforcement agencies.
“The cameras have been used to track protesters exercising their First Amendment rights,” said Matthew Lofgren, a lead organizer with DeFlock Fairfax. “ICE has gained access to over 80,000 cameras nationally. These cameras are relatively new, and the question is are they worth the civil liberties violation of a loss of privacy.”
The group will host a public forum next week titled “,” featuring experts who plan to discuss concerns surrounding the technology.
“While ICE might be perceived as a left-wing concern, I’ve found broadly that people on the right and the left really have a lot of concerns with these cameras,” Lofgren told 小萝莉影视. “They’ve been used to track people who are going to gun shows. This is something that concerns all Americans.”
Lofgren also questioned how long information can remain in the Flock database.
A Virginia law passed last year established a 21-day retention requirement. Fairfax County police said they voluntarily adopted that practice before the law took effect last summer.
But Lofgren said the law’s exemption of Flock data from Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act makes it difficult to determine how the department uses the data or how long it is retained.
“It’s impossible to tell if FCPD is violating the law or not,” he said.
In a written statement to 小萝莉影视, the Fairfax County Police Department said the technology is working, and it has strict measures in place to detect misuse.
鈥淭he potential misuse or abuse of technology is a serious concern and requires meaningful safeguards and oversight,鈥� the police department wrote. 鈥淔CPD has approached LPR technology with that responsibility in mind. Many of the safeguards now being discussed or recommended nationally, were incorporated into FCPD’s program proactively.鈥�
The department said license plate reader technology has helped:
- Recover more than 549 stolen vehicles with a combined value of nearly $10 million
- Support more than 1,700 felony charges
- Recover 65 firearms, and
- Locate 57 missing people
Fairfax County expanded its license plate reader program in 2022 with Flock cameras. DeFlock Fairfax said it has identified more than 100 across the U.S.
AI-powered traffic cameras have become a national flashpoint, with some jurisdictions pushing for their removal or stricter privacy safeguards. Los Angeles and Denver police departments recently suspended their use of the technology.
Lofgren said he does not dispute that the cameras have helped police investigations. Instead, he said, his concerns center on potential privacy implications.
“We need to look at the abuses,” he said. “I often say that if the Founding Fathers knew that the government was keeping track of everybody’s horse and buggy, they would have added that to their list of grievances against the king.”
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