ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Alexandria Police Department will hold the first of two community listening sessions on its use of technology Thursday, as residents continue to press the city to end its contract with Flock Safety.
The sessions run from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, at the James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library, and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Patrick Henry Recreation Center. APD's announcement describes them broadly, as a chance to learn about the technology the department uses, ask questions, share concerns and give feedback "to help inform future decisions."
The city's written answers to council tie the sessions to the license plate reader program. Asked how APD would engage the community as the city transitions away from Flock, the department named the same two dates and said the locations were chosen to reach residents on the east and west sides of the city.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins asked at council's Sept. 8 meeting that community meetings on the technology be held on their own rather than folded into other gatherings.
Where technology fits in the chief's plan
The sessions follow through on a commitment in the Public Safety Plan McGuire presented to council in June. The plan organizes the department's priorities around five pillars spelling GREAT — Geographical Policing and Accountability, Relationships, Evidence-Based Strategies and Enforcement, Assessment, and Technology. The technology pillar covers real-time emergency information, expanded crime-analysis tools and planning for the costs and staffing new technology requires, and pledges community education and feedback before major technology decisions.
McGuire has pushed technology since his first public safety update to council in March, when he described it as a force multiplier for a department facing hiring and retention pressures and asked for deeper investment, including in drones and real-time information. At a community meeting on the plan in July, he put it more plainly: the department cannot be everywhere at once.
The license plate reader debate has since become the first major test of that pledge.
What has come out since Sept. 8
The department posted answers to council's questions Sept. 18. Among them: the Flock contract runs through April 2027 and can be ended at any time, an outside audit by Ohio State criminologist Robin Engel is expected to begin by Oct. 1, and APD has cut off access to its cameras for 12 Virginia agencies with immigration enforcement agreements.
Police Chief Tarrick McGuire has since confirmed that decision and asked a city commission to help set the rules for what replaces Flock.
Saturday's public comment
The program dominated open public comment at council's Sept. 19 public hearing, where about a dozen speakers addressed surveillance, most calling for the city to end its contracts with license plate reader companies. Two Alexandria City High School seniors spoke about camera placement in their neighborhoods. Other speakers raised pedestrian safety near schools.
When one speaker called for removing speed and red-light cameras as well if they feed the same network, a police official told council those cameras are not integrated into license plate reader databases and that the data does not overlap. Gaskins asked that the clarification be circulated to council and posted publicly.
The department's answers and dashboard are posted on the city's website.
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Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria journalist, neighbor, and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips and feedback to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
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