McLean's representative on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors criticized the company behind the county's 84 license plate reader cameras during a two-hour committee debate on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

"It concerns me that we are working with a vendor that frankly, they care when it hits their bottom line," Dranesville District Supervisor James Bierman said, according to NBC Washington. "For many years they didn't care."

The Board of Supervisors' Safety and Security Committee heard from police leaders, reviewed an 18-page letter from Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley and disagreed over whether the county's Flock cameras protect residents or threaten their privacy, FFXnow reported. The board took no official action.

As we reported Oct. 20, the Fairfax County Police Department presented data showing its cameras have contributed to 938 arrests, 573 stolen vehicle recoveries and nearly $9.8 million in stolen property recovered since November 2022. FCPD Maj. Hudson Bull, who heads the department's Real Time Crime Center, called the technology an essential law enforcement tool, according to FFXnow.

Several supervisors said the police presentation fell short on privacy protections.

Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said in a statement posted to the county website that he would vote to end the Flock contract if a vote were held now. Alcorn said the company's data is not encrypted and not managed on a private network. He proposed that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments coordinate a regional approach to license plate reader policy.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity pushed back, arguing the board should weigh the cameras' crime-fighting record before making changes. He said too little attention was paid to the impact on victims.

County staff presented three paths forward:

  • Maintain the current program while evaluating other vendors
  • Keep the Flock system running while testing alternatives that comply with state law
  • Become a closed network with no data-sharing outside Fairfax County, with a one-year review

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez asked why ending license plate reader use entirely was not among the options. Deputy County Executive Tom Arnold, who oversees safety and security, said that route would likely increase crime but acknowledged the board could pursue it.

The debate follows a series of regional moves against Flock. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Sept. 15 to pause new camera installations after receiving hundreds of resident emails.

The Fairfax County School Board banned the cameras from school property on Sept. 24 in a 12-0 vote, according to WTOP. Arlington County ended its Flock contract the same month.

A 2025 Virginia law limits government camera data storage to 21 days and prohibits sharing with out-of-state or federal agencies without a judicial warrant. The FCPD also said it reduced the number of personnel with data access from 821 to 296, according to FFXnow.

Board Chair Jeff McKay said the next step is for supervisors to submit specific questions to county staff, who will compile answers for the full board. State lawmakers from both parties are also considering a statewide Flock ban, an issue NBC Washington reported is expected to come up in 2027.

Braddock District Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer acknowledged the difficulty ahead: "There's a balance of rights. I don't know the right balance."