Newport News Updates Monthly Flock Safety Camera Results
Legal challenge concerning technology moves forward in Norfolk court
A Newport News Daily contributor used AI to produce this post from these sources:
Flock Safety - Newport News VA PD Transparency Portal
LPR Cameras
The Hot List: What Happens When a Wanted Car Passes a Flock Safety Camera?
Lawsuit challenging license plate cameras proceeds; motion to dismiss denied
According to the Transparency Portal, the Flock Safety system in use by the NNVA PD is designed to capture license plates and vehicles. It specifically notes that the technology does not detect facial recognition, people, gender, or race. The established acceptable use policy for the collected data mandates that it is to be used solely for law enforcement purposes and is owned by the NNVA PD, with the assurance that no data is sold to third parties. Prohibited uses of the data include immigration enforcement, traffic enforcement, harassment or intimidation, usage based solely on a protected class (such as race, sex, or religion), and personal use. Access to the system requires a valid reason, and the data is stored indefinitely. The policy also stipulates that "Hotlist" hits require human verification before any action is taken.
A summary of data points about Flock Safety from your query, based on the sources:
Data retention (in days): 30 days
Number of LPR and other cameras: 86
Hotlists Alerted On: NCMEC Amber Alert, NCIC - VSP
Vehicles detected in the last 30 days: 835,159
Hotlist hits in the last 30 days: 25,291
Searches in the last 30 days: 1,508
Flock Safety describes its License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras as an "indispensable tool for modern law enforcement," asserting they are "redefining the entire landscape of public safety". The cameras utilize Vehicle Fingerprint® Technology, which can identify vehicles by characteristics like make, color, and decals, enabling footage to be transformed into actionable evidence even without a visible license plate. The company's software also includes features like People Detection Alerts, which use AI to identify human presence in restricted zones during specific times, providing "immediate info" to law enforcement and security teams, notably "without recognizing personal characteristics". The FlockOS® platform unifies various data sources, including LPR, video, and audio (such as gunshot detection), to provide "real-time intelligence" and can integrate third-party cameras for a "seamless workflow".
A key feature highlighted by Flock Safety is the "Hot List," which generates automatic alerts for local law enforcement or on-site security when a vehicle flagged as wanted is detected by a camera. This real-time alerting is promoted as a way to help "prevent and solve crimes faster". The Hot List allows users to receive alerts for stolen vehicles, known wanted individuals, and more, integrating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which is updated daily. Private customers operating LPRs can choose to incorporate their cameras into the LPR network and receive alerts if they have a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement with their local law enforcement agency. While law enforcement agencies can access and enter records into the NCIC database, businesses and private communities with their own LPRs do not have this access. As noted by the NNVA PD, their Hotlist policy requires hits to be "human verified prior to action".
While Newport News deploys this technology, it faces legal scrutiny in nearby Norfolk, Virginia. A lawsuit challenging the City of Norfolk's use of Flock cameras is moving forward after a judge denied a motion to dismiss. The lawsuit, filed in October 2024 by the Institute for Justice law firm on behalf of residents from Norfolk and Portsmouth, alleges that the Flock cameras violate the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects against unreasonable searches. The plaintiffs argue that these cameras allow for extensive tracking of individuals' movements over time, contending that the government should be required to obtain a warrant for such tracking. Court documents indicate that Chief Judge Davis found that the plaintiffs have "sufficiently alleged a violation of both their subjective and reasonable objective expectations of privacy, and by doing so, plausibly allege that a search has occurred," allowing the suit to proceed. The lawsuit names the City of Norfolk, the Norfolk Police Department, and the NPD Chief as defendants,.
Conversely, the technology has its proponents within law enforcement. The Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, Ramin Fatehi, has publicly supported the use of LPR technology, calling it a "game changer". He stated that he has "seen Norfolk Police solve murders using Flock, solve murders that would’ve gone nowhere without it".
The continued legal process in Norfolk will further examine the balance between the privacy concerns raised by this technology and its perceived benefits in aiding law enforcement investigations.