Alexandria, Va. – In a decisive move toward greater transparency and local control, the City of Alexandria announced it will shut down all 61 of its Flock license‑plate reader cameras by Friday, Oct. 30. The decision follows weeks of public backlash and growing privacy concerns raised by residents across the nation.
City leaders outline the shutdown timeline
During a Wednesday meeting of city officials, Police Chief Tarrick McGuire confirmed that Flock Safety has been formally notified of the city’s intent to discontinue the program. “I anticipate by this Friday that the [Alexandria License Plate Reader] cameras should be deactivated,” McGuire said.
Once the cameras are disabled, no new license‑plate reads will be captured. The Alexandria Police Department will conduct an internal self‑audit on Nov. 2 to verify that the devices are fully powered down. Data tied to active investigations will be retained to preserve evidentiary value, while all user access will be completely disabled by Dec. 1.
Physical removal and future oversight
Although the poles that support the cameras are leased, the cameras themselves are owned by the city. Officials plan to remove all 61 units by December. Moving forward, any future surveillance technology will require explicit approval from the city council. A legislative meeting scheduled for Nov. 10 will establish formal guidance and oversight frameworks before the city considers similar tools.
City Manager James Parajon emphasized the importance of public transparency and government oversight. “Some of those principles are guided by public transparency and government oversight,” he said. “Any use or deployment or decision on technology, there will be a community engagement process that we will work on and provide to you on the 10th.”
Parajon also outlined the core pillars that will guide future surveillance decisions: oversight, audits, transparency, community engagement, and city ownership of data. “No technology would be deployed without both the resolution and then the process of the council,” he added.
Police department cites past results
Police officials previously highlighted the program’s contribution to public safety, noting that the Flock cameras helped lead to 72 felony and 65 misdemeanor charges over the past year. Chief McGuire stressed that the department must close out ongoing cases to protect evidentiary integrity while confirming that all camera systems are fully powered down.
Community response and next steps
The shutdown reflects a clear response to community concerns about privacy and the potential for government overreach. By placing oversight and community input at the forefront, Alexandria aims to balance effective law‑enforcement tools with the constitutional rights of its residents.
Residents can view a map of the former camera locations on the city’s website, and the city will continue to solicit feedback as it refines its approach to technology‑based public safety measures.
Original reporting: Arlington County | FOX 5 DC — read the source article.
