A new Virginia law authorizes automated cameras to catch drivers who fail to yield at crosswalks and stop signs, but Fairfax County Police say they have no intention of deploying the technology on local roads.
Senate Bill 84 took effect on July 1. It permits state and local law enforcement to install pedestrian crossing and stop-sign violation monitoring systems in school crossing zones, highway work zones and designated high-risk speed corridors. The law also adds requirements for public notice, signage and data retention.
“Senate Bill 84 authorizes the use of photo speed enforcement, handled by our Traffic Division, and not associated with the Flock Safety company,” Fairfax County Police Department said in an emailed statement.
An FCPD spokesperson said the department has "no plan whatsoever to implement the use of Flock Safety cameras at crosswalks and stop signs." In an emailed statement, the department drew a firm line between SB 84 and its existing license plate reader network, saying the new law covers photo speed enforcement handled by its Traffic Division and is not associated with Flock Safety.
Pedestrian safety advocates push back
Not everyone agrees the cameras should stay in the box. Fairfax Families for Safe Streets, responding to SB 84's passage in a Facebook post, said a volunteer count at one Vienna intersection recorded 84 drivers failing to stop at an all-way stop sign in just 20 minutes. The group did not identify the count's methodology or date.
Privacy concerns linger
At an April Fairfax County Board of Supervisors public hearing, Matthew Lofgren, speaking on behalf of Herndon Friends Meeting, urged county leaders to reconsider the county's broader camera surveillance technology.
"Normal red-blooded Americans don't like knowing their movements can be tracked at any time without a warrant," Lofgren told the board.
“Automated License Plate Readers, or LPRs, don’t just monitor license plates. They constantly monitor all traffic,” Lofgren said. “This isn’t a left or right issue. It’s of deep concern to a variety of people for very obvious reasons.”
The local advocacy group DeFlock Fairfax has called on the county to end its Flock Safety contract, citing concerns over data sharing, oversight, and civil liberties.
FCPD's existing camera network
The department's license plate reader program, separate from anything authorized by SB 84, uses cameras manufactured by Flock Safety, Axon and Motorola. Operating since November 2022 through the Real Time Crime Center, the system has contributed to 870 arrests and recovered 528 stolen vehicles valued at nearly $8.75 million through July 1, according to department figures.
FCPD says every search is automatically logged and the department conducts a monthly 100% audit of all records. Department policy prohibits use of the system for immigration enforcement.
Residents can view FCPD's full LPR policies on the department's Real Time Crime Center transparency page at fairfaxcounty.gov/police/real-time-crime-center-transparency.
