License plate readers enable 5 arrests, recovery of 7 guns in Fairfax County
License plate readers lead to shootout arrests in Fairfax County
Automated License Plate Reader technology aided in five arrests and the recovery of seven guns in connection with a neighborhood shootout, according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A neighborhood shootout led to arrests and guns being taken off the street. Fairfax County investigators said automated license plate reader (ALPR) technology was a big reason why.
The backstory:
Police said they recovered seven guns and charged five people with crimes after an incident in the 7900 block of Janna Lee Avenue in Hybla Valley shortly before 5 p.m. on November 4.
Shots were fired between people who had just hopped out of two vehicles before speeding away, according to investigators. There were no injuries, but officers said they found 24 cartridge casings as well as bullet holes in a vehicle and street signs.
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Investigators used ALPRs to ultimately track down the suspects’ cars – one about 90 minutes after the shooting, the other two days later.
"The license plate readers in this case got us to the exact vehicles that were involved in the crime, and they got us there quickly," explained Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) Major Hudson Bull. "We would’ve been able to solve the crime without the license plate readers, but it would have taken a lot longer to solve the crime, and with that, we possibly could’ve lost evidence."
What we know:
The license plate reader technology is controversial.
In recent months, local jurisdictions, including Alexandria and Arlington, have opted to remove cameras, partially due to privacy concerns. In other parts of the country, there have also been allegations of misuse of the cameras, including among police officers.
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What they're saying:
Meanwhile, local residents have expressed mixed reviews.
Carla Claure lives near the Hybla Valley shooting, and said she heard the gunshots. She's in favor of keeping the cameras in her community.
"I speak with a couple people in my community, and the most people say, yes, these cameras are very important because my community, we don’t have too many options. You know, this camera is one, one opportunity to live more safe," Claure told FOX 5.
Others disagree.
"To me, it’s an invasion of privacy," David Crone said in late October.
"There have been significant civil rights and privacy concerns across multiple jurisdictions, across multiple political parties. There’s bipartisan concern about what these cameras are collecting," Fairfax County School Board Member Kyle McDaniel said outside a public hearing on the topic in September.
Dig deeper:
Bull said Fairfax County has 84 fixed ALPRs and more than 700 located inside of police cars. He added that searches are documented and audited, and that no FCPD personnel has ever been disciplined for misusing the cameras.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Fairfax County Police Department and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.