Police chief tells residents the research on license plate readers is thin, but he still sees a role for them

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Police Chief Tarrick McGuire told residents Thursday night that the research does not establish that automatic license plate readers reduce crime, and that the case for them rests on something narrower: they help investigators develop leads.

A resident opened the hour by citing a study in the Journal of Experimental Criminology that found no significant improvement in public safety from surveillance cameras and asked for evidence to the contrary.

McGuire said the field is understudied and the results are mixed — some communities have seen effects on crime rates, while others have not. "There is nothing to prove and/or support, right, that it necessarily reduces crime," he said. "Here is where it is important from another lens. What we do know is that it helps establish investigative leads, right, and it helps with the efficiency of solving problems."

Alexandria police operate 61 fixed license plate readers, keep the data for 21 days, and share access with 138 Virginia law enforcement agencies. City Council took the program up on Sept. 8, and the Alexandria Times reported afterward that all seven members support removing the cameras.