Tech Talk: Closer look at License Plate Reader system being used in DMV
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (DC News Now) — Technology is playing a part in how police are collecting evidence in parts of the DMV.
Since the start of the year, Fairfax County police have been using new technology to find stolen cars, arrest criminals and find people who have been reported missing.
The technology is known as the Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) System.
“Amidst rising firearm violence, rising retail crime, rising auto theft and carjackings, [people] want to feel safe going about their daily business,” said Flock Safety spokesperson Holly Beilin.
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“So there’s typically solar panel attached to them and they’re in areas where law enforcement and Flock Safety have collaborated to determine that they’re going to be most useful,” Beilin said.
On Nov. 6, the police department released new data about their work with the license plate readers.
“In their first year of operation in Fairfax County, officers have used Flock Safety LPRs to recover 125 stolen vehicles,” said a Flock Safety spokesperson.
They also used it to find 22 illegal firearms, 18 missing persons and more.
“We offer transparency and accountability tools to ensure that this technology is used only for public safety purposes, never misused, never used for things that it wouldn’t need to be used for by the law enforcement,” said Beilin.
In an effort to reassure people who are concerned about data protection, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) does not receive alerts about violations regarding immigration status, and pictures collected by cameras are stored on a cloud server for 30 days before they are permanently deleted.
“Ensuring the security of collected data is a top priority. The FCPD has implemented state-of-the-art data security protocols to safeguard against unauthorized access. This commitment to data security aims to maintain public trust and confidence in the responsible use of LPR technology,” said a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Police Department.
Community members are meeting to discuss the technology on Tuesday night in Springfield.
“The West Springfield District Station’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be meeting in-person on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at 7 p.m., at the station, 6140 Rolling Road in Springfield. The featured speaker is Lt. Hudson Bull, who will discuss the FLOCK Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) system and how it is helping to solve crimes in Fairfax County,” according to a community notice.
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