‘Data will be turned off within 48 hours:' Alexandria to exit Flock camera program

Alexandria will stop using Flock cameras by Friday, city officials said at a council meeting Tuesday.

Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire said he sent a notice to Flock earlier this week that the city would discontinue the service. The Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras should be deactivated by Friday.

“Effective this evening, I sent notification to Flock Safety that we would discontinue our program with them,” McGuire said during the meeting. “I anticipate by this Friday that the ALPR cameras should be deactivated.”

McGuire said the goal is to have all cameras in Alexandria removed by the end of December.

Alexandria City Manager James Parajon said city officials will discuss potential guidance, and protocols going forward, at the council’s Nov. 10 meeting, should there be future surveillance technology.

“The Flock contract is canceled,” Parajon said at the meeting. “The data will be turned off within 48 hours.”

The announcement was met with applause during the meeting.

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Alexandria is one of many areas in Northern Virginia to move away from Flock. Arlington and Dumfries removed Flock cameras in September.

Fairfax County also paused expanding its existing Flock program late last month, pending a review, while Fairfax County Public Schools banned the use of ALPR cameras on school grounds.

People across the country have voiced concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence cameras, like Flock, and the data they collect on any driver who drives past. Nearly 50 police officers around the country have been disciplined for using flock cameras to stalk romantic interests, according to the Institute for Justice, a law firm that has sued Flock for violating people’s privacy.

Virginia state Sen. Lashrecse Aird, a Democrat representing Petersburg, told News4 in September that she had filed an initial draft of a bill that would ban automated license plate readers statewide.

“Essentially, Virginians are paying, their hard-earned taxpayer dollars are going towards being surveilled and that’s inexcusable,” Aird told News4.