Culpeper VA PD

Transparency Portal

Last Updated: Sun Sep 21 2025
Overview
The Culpeper VA Police Department uses Flock Safety technology to capture objective evidence while respecting individual privacy. This technology allows investigators to conduct retroactive searches to solve crimes after they occur and provides real-time alerts on hotlist vehicles. These alerts not only assist in apprehending wanted criminals, but also play a vital role in locating missing or endangered personsboth children and adultsincluding children who may be the subject of an AMBER Alert. To ensure proper use and accountability, the department has made the following policies and usage statistics available to the public.
Policies
What's Detected
License Plates, Vehicles
What's Not Detected
Facial recognition, People, Gender, Race
Acceptable Use Policy
Data is used for law enforcement purposes only. Data is owned by Culpeper VA PD and is never sold to 3rd parties.
Prohibited Uses
Immigration enforcement, traffic enforcement, harrassment or intimidation, usage based solely on a protected class (i.e. race, sex, religion), Personal use.
Access Policy
All system access requires a valid reason and is stored indefinitely.
Hotlist Policy
Hotlist hits are required to be human verified prior to action.
Usage
Data retention (in days)
21 days
Number of LPR and other cameras
16
Hotlists Alerted On
NCMEC Amber Alert, NCIC - VSP
Vehicles detected in the last 30 days
124,962
Hotlist hits in the last 30 days
125
Searches in the last 30 days
114
Additional Info
Culpeper PD ALPR Policy
IX. AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION (ALPR) Chapter 19.3  Patrol  Equipment Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish comprehensive guidelines governing the use, operation, and management of the Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems by the department. This policy is designed to ensure that all deployment and utilization of ALPR technology is conducted in strict compliance with Virginia state laws and regulations, particularly those concerning privacy, data retention, and lawful criminal justice practices. The policy also promotes the effective and responsible use of ALPR systems in support of public safety efforts and criminal investigations, while protecting individual rights. Policy Statement The department shall operate its ALPR systems exclusively for legitimate law enforcement purposes. These include, but are not limited to, locating stolen vehicles or license plates, identifying vehicles associated with missing persons or wanted individuals, supporting active criminal investigations, and responding to alerts from official notifications such as AMBER and SILVER Alerts or terrorist watch lists. Under no circumstances will ALPR technology be used to monitor constitutionally protected activities, target individuals based on their speech, or interfere with lawful public behavior. Any unauthorized use or sharing of ALPR data is strictly prohibited and may result in disciplinary action or criminal penalties under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Department is committed to providing transparency in our use of ALPR systems by providing a dedicated Transparency Portal webpage along with providing public education through engagement and the use of social media platforms. The Department is committed to following the Code of Virginia §2.2-5517, as amended, which became effective on July 1, 2025. All officers shall be familiar with this Code and follow it at all times. Definitions Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR)  Technology that utilizes high-speed cameras and specialized software to capture and convert images of vehicle license plates into machine-readable data. " Hit or Notification  Occurs when the system identifies a license plate that matches a record from an authorized database or hot list. " Hot list  Is a collection of license plates associated with criminal activity or public safety concerns, such as those from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) or Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN). The department may also develop a Custom Hot List for vehicles under specific local investigation. " Query  Refers to a user-initiated search of ALPR data. " Audit trail  A system-generated log that documents all access and queries, including user credentials, date and time, the license plate queried, the stated purpose, and any related case number. " LPR Administrator  Is the person(s) designated to oversee and manage the departments ALPR program. " Law-enforcement agency  Any agency defined under § 9.1-101 of the Code of Virginia. System Requirements All ALPR systems deployed by the Department must adhere to specific technical and security standards. Each vendor must certify in writing that they will not sell or share any system or audit data without the departments request or consent. System data must be automatically purged after 21 days unless linked to an active criminal investigation. Audit trail data must be retained for two years, unless a longer retention period is legally mandated. Additionally, all systems must conform to the standards set by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA), and approved by the Division of Purchases and Supply of the Department of General Services. Databases used by ALPR systems for notification purposes must be updated at least every 24 hours to ensure accuracy. Permissible Uses The use of ALPR systems by the Department shall be limited strictly to approved law enforcement functions. These include: " Criminal investigations involving violations of Virginia law or local ordinances where reasonable suspicion exist; " Locating missing, endangered, or abducted individuals (Amber and Silver Alerts); " Responding to alerts related to outstanding warrants, stolen vehicles or plates, and human trafficking investigations; " ALPR may also support traffic enforcement activities, provided such use is consistent with state law and internal department policy. Data Retention and Sharing In accordance with state law, ALPR system data shall be retained for no longer than 21 days unless the data are linked to an ongoing criminal investigation. Audit trail records shall be preserved for two years unless otherwise required by law. ALPR data are not subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Sharing of ALPR data is restricted to authorized parties, which include other law enforcement agencies, Commonwealths Attorneys, defense attorneys pursuant to court order, and courts responding to subpoenas or legal requests. Any unauthorized access or distribution of ALPR data is prohibited and punishable under Virginia law. In accordance with state law, the department will not share system data with any agency outside the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Department will comply with all reporting requirements of the Virginia State Crime Commission. Operational Procedures ALPR units may be deployed on a permanent or temporary basis, but must receive prior approval from the Chief of Police. Only VCIN-certified personnel who are specifically authorized may access ALPR systems. All access must occur using individualized login credentials, and permissions must be limited according to the employees job assignment. Officers are required to log into the ALPR system at the beginning of their shift. When the ALPR system generates a hit, the officer must visually verify that the observed license plate matches the system notification. The officer shall confirm license plate of the alert through the NCIC or VCIN database through the Culpeper County Emergency Communications Center (ECC). A hit from the ALPR system alone does not constitute reasonable suspicion for enforcement action; confirmation is mandatory. Hits associated with terrorist watch lists or violent gang databases are to be treated as informational alerts only, not immediate cause for enforcement. Investigative Use and Responsibilities Custom hot list entries must be reviewed and approved by a LPR Administrator or a Supervisor before being entered into the ALPR system. These entries must be promptly removed once they are no longer relevant to an active investigation. Investigating officers are responsible for ensuring that any custom entries remain accurate and necessary. The use of custom hot lists does not replace mandatory NCIC or VCIN entry requirements for wanted or missing persons. Training and System Security All personnel who operate or access ALPR systems must complete training in addition to maintaining current VCIN certification. The LPR Administrator, in collaboration with the Training Unit, shall coordinate and document all training activities. Internal department procedures shall prohibit downloading or retaining unrelated ALPR data, require regular database updates, ensure system access is restricted to authorized personnel, and outline secure storage and proper destruction of data. The LPR Administrator shall conduct an internal auditing procedure that occurs at least once every 30 days. Reporting Requirements The department shall submit an annual report to the Virginia Department of State Police detailing the number of ALPR cameras deployed, the specific databases used for notifications, the total number of queries performed and their purposes, and the demographic data of identified suspects and drivers stopped. The report shall also include the number of vehicle stops resulting from ALPR hits, any incidents of unauthorized access or misuse, and legal requests received for system data, including subpoenas, warrants, or Subpoena Duces Tecums. Public Awareness and Transparency To foster transparency and public trust, the department will publish this ALPR policy on its official website. The Department will also release the ALPR data in its annual report, excluding any personal information or sensitive case details that would compromise ongoing investigations or violate individual privacy rights. Additionally, the Department will maintain a Transparency Portal website where anyone can view: " Department policy; " Review a list of law enforcement agencies where ALPR data is shared; " Aggregate number of vehicles captured in the prior 30 days; " Number of hot list hits the past 30 days; " And the number of queries in the last 30 days. The Transparency Portal website can be located at: https://transparency.flocksafety.com/culpeper-va-pd- Prohibited Uses Under no circumstances may ALPR systems be used to monitor individuals based on their constitutionally protected speech or legal activities. The department strictly prohibits using the system for any type of surveillance without a clear legal basis, or for any form of data mining or information gathering that is not directly connected to a criminal justice purpose. Any individual who willfully misuses the ALPR system, or who unlawfully accesses or shares data from the system, shall be subject to enforcement under Virginia law. Violations may result in Class 1 misdemeanor charges, the exclusion of improperly obtained evidence from judicial proceedings, and internal disciplinary actions, up to and including termination. Policy Exemptions This policy does not apply to ALPR systems that are operated by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), traffic enforcement systems not related to criminal investigation, or to other non-criminal justice applications managed by government entities outside the department. Permits and Legal Compliance Before installing ALPR equipment on state-maintained property, the department shall obtain all required permits from the Town of Culpeper Zoning Department. Vendors contracted to provide ALPR technology must notify the department immediately upon receiving any legal request for system data, including subpoenas or search warrants. By following this policy, the department ensures that its ALPR program is used lawfully, transparently, and responsibly, in alignment with state laws and departmental standards. This policy is intended to protect the privacy rights of the public while enhancing the departments ability to safeguard the community and respond effectively to crime.