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At a recent ceremony honoring Fairfax County Police Department’s top 10 users of Flock Safety’s license plate reader (LPR) technology, leadership recognized how the innovative use of this tool is reshaping crime prevention and response across the county.

“You are the top 10 for 2024. Congratulations,” said Captain Hudson Bull of Fairfax County Police, opening the event with appreciation for the officers’ exemplary work. These ten officers were credited with driving significant results—solving nearly half of the almost500 LPR-related cases reported in the county last year.

The moment also featured a powerful reflection from Police Chief Kevin Davis, who remarked, “I’m preaching to the choir, but LPR has changed the crime fight in Fairfax County.” His comments underscored the transformative effect of license plate reader technology on local policing. “You all are making it happen. You’re leaders, you’re setting the tone.”

LPR systems enable officers to identify and locate vehicles associated with criminal activity in real-time, greatly enhancing investigative capabilities. Captain Bull recounted how the adoption of LPR led to the creation of the county’s real-time crime center (RTCC)—an advanced operations hub focused on addressing crime as it happens, not just responding afterward.

“When we started using Flock Safety license plate readers, we started solving more and more crime,” Captain Bull said. “We saw that there was a need to make sure we could solve crime in the moment instead of after the fact.”

The impact has extended beyond the department. “The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive,” Captain Bull noted. He attributed this to the department’s commitment to using technology responsibly and to the ongoing engagement with both residents and private sector partners. “That public-private relationship is one of the most powerful tools we have.”

The effectiveness of LPR was vividly demonstrated by one officer’s recent case. After taking a burglary report involving a stolen blue work van—initially without a license plate—the officer entered the vehicle description into the Flock system. Within minutes, with assistance from the RTCC, the van was identified with stolen plates, linked to a second burglary in Maryland, and located as it returned to Fairfax County.

Camera footage captured the suspects exiting the vehicle at a local shopping center. The officer was able to identify them, obtain arrest warrants, and later that day, the vehicle was stopped and both suspects were taken into custody. “Flock cameras have really changed the game,” the officer stated.

Flock's Chief Communications Officer, Josh Thomas, echoed the department’s enthusiasm: “At Flock Safety, our mission is to eliminate crime, which obviously is an audacious thing to say out loud. As you all know, we want to help not just eliminate crime, but build communities that thrive in the future. And so that does start with the public safety aspect of it."

As the ceremony closed, Captain Bull reflected on the journey: “You’re doing the incredible work we envisioned years ago. To see where we are today—and where we could go next—is pretty exciting.”

Fairfax County continues to lead the way in the use of cutting-edge law enforcement tools, proving that with the right technology and leadership, smarter and faster policing is possible—and effective.