Summary: RHCA Meeting September 22, 2026
Summary
Board Action Items
Discussions for Future Meetings
Detailed Summary
Franconia District Police Update
Major Deanna Weand, the Commander of the Franconia District Station, introduced herself and discussed current challenges in the district, including parking issues in Franconia and retail theft at shopping centers. Deanna encouraged attendees to sign up for the spring session of the Community Police Academy, which offers behind-the-scenes tours and demonstrations of police operations.
She explained the transition of the Fairfax Criminal Justice Academy from the old Headquarters to a temporary facility in Chantilly and described the upcoming plans for a new academy campus near the airport.
License Plate Camera Technology
Deanna discussed the current state of police technology in Fairfax County, including the use of e-bikes for neighborhood patrols and license plate readers (LPRs) for crime investigation. She explained that LPRs have been used by tow truck companies for decades and are now being adopted by police departments for tracking stolen vehicles and identifying suspects. She noted that the Fairfax LPR program is overseen by Major Hudson Bull at the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC). Deanna explained how license plate cameras have been used effectively in Fairfax County to solve crimes, including a recent case at Springfield Town Center where officers apprehended suspects with outstanding warrants. She emphasized that Fairfax County maintains strict compliance to safeguards in their system, including regular audits and maintaining records for only 21 days, the shortest retention period in the country. She detailed how the system uses both license plate reading and photographs to verify information and prevent false hits, illustrating this with examples of how the technology helped identify stolen license plates and catch criminals.
LPR Camera System Privacy Guidelines
Deanna explained the process and privacy considerations around license plate recognition (LPR) camera systems, noting that data is stored for 21 days before being permanently deleted. She clarified that while private property owners like apartment complexes and HOAs can install these systems, Fairfax County will not fund new installations. Deanna also addressed questions about data access, explaining that police can access private camera data only if the system participates in the program. She said that some communities use whitelisting to protect resident privacy. Deanna further discussed the use of cameras in Fairfax County, explaining that they help quickly solve crimes, including a recent case where cameras helped recover a kidnapped child within two hours. She clarified that the cameras cannot write tickets themselves and are separate from speed cameras, which only operate in active school or work zones. Deanna also explained that while the system could potentially be used to track offenses like littering if a license plate is captured, it would not be used for minor misdemeanor crimes due to the labor-intensive nature of such investigations.
Traffic Law Enforcement Challenges
Deanna discussed the challenges of enforcing traffic laws and protecting residents' privacy with camera systems. She explained that while the new system provides faster license plate checks through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), officers still need to verify information manually by cross-referencing with their Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system before taking action. Deanna discussed that residents can report excessive speeding, emphasizing the need for specific timeframes and locations to effectively address traffic issues. She also highlighted ongoing traffic safety initiatives in Fairfax County, including the Road Shark program targeting aggressive driving and a current 30-day Operation Safe Right Turn aimed at reducing pedestrian accidents.
Traffic Safety Discussion
Deanna discussed traffic safety initiatives, particularly focusing on pedestrian safety in October due to changing weather conditions. She explained that the department does not currently use AI cameras like LPRs for traffic enforcement. She noted that red light cameras were eliminated in Fairfax County over a decade ago. Deanna described the multi-stakeholder process for implementing traffic safety improvements, including regular meetings with the Board of Supervisors and VDOT. She shared an example of how intersection changes were made at Pope's Head after years of safety concerns. She also addressed the challenges of obtaining traffic calming devices, explaining that neighborhoods must provide data supporting the need for such measures, which involves complex traffic studies and approval processes.
School Pedestrian Safety Initiatives
Deanna discussed recent pedestrian accidents near schools, including a death at South Lakes and a hit-and-run in the Franconia district. She explained that crossing guards would not have prevented the South Lakes incident as they were assigned to different locations. She outlined current safety initiatives including traffic enforcement, educational flyers, armband distribution, and working with school administrators to message safety concerns.
Fairfax Police Innovation and Technology
When asked about innovation and technology use, Deanna described how many groups and vendors promote new technology to the department; how the department attends conferences to investigate new technology and how the department has strong relationships with other localities to share innovation.
Deanna explained how Fairfax County police use the Peregrine system, which integrates with CentralSquare to analyze police reports and provide AI-powered insights. She described how the system helps with data analysis for weekly core meetings based on Compstat methodology, allowing commanders to review district performance and make data-driven decisions. Deanna also detailed how they use the system to address specific issues like the Commerce Street homelessness initiative and to analyze patterns in assault cases on law enforcement officers.
Police Staffing
The conversation then shifted to police staffing, where Deanna explained that Fairfax County is now in an over-hire position due to successful recruitment efforts including pay parity with neighboring jurisdictions, hiring bonuses, and running four academies simultaneously. Deanna discussed the various specialized units in the police department, including the Threat Assessment Team (TAM) that investigates school threats and the helicopter unit primarily used for medevac operations. She explained how these specialized teams require experienced officers, which has led to reduced patrol staffing and the need for additional officers in the future. Deanna also described the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings held on the third Wednesday of each month at the Franconia Government Center, where community members can discuss local crime issues and concerns.
Constitution and Bylaws Review Meeting
The President led a discussion about proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, providing participants with time to review the documents. He stated that a summary of changes was sent via email and Facebook. When asked about dues, he confirmed that they are $20 per year per person. He answered a question about reporting requirements for the treasurer. He noted that the Treasurer, Ken, provides audits at meetings but there are no specific provisions in the current Constitution. The group discussed shifting from household-based to individual membership fees, with a proposed rate of $20 per person, though some members advocated for keeping household-based pricing due to current economic conditions. The Constitution changes were approved with a plan to further discuss household memberships and voting by the president. The meeting also addressed the need to fill the vice president position.
- The meeting featured a presentation by Major Deanna Weand of the Fairfax County Police Department. She discussed community safety issues, including parking problems and retail theft in the Franconia district. She provided an in-depth explanation of the department's use of license plate readers (LPRs), detailing their operation, data retention policies, and oversight mechanisms to ensure privacy and prevent misuse. Weand also highlighted the Community Police Academy and various traffic safety initiatives, such as the Road Shark program and Operation Safe Right Turn, a pedestrian safety campaign.
- The meeting also included a discussion and vote on proposed changes to the RHCA Constitution. The vote passed with a plan to further discuss household memberships and voting by the president.
- The need to fill the Vice President vacancy was raised.
Board Action Items
- Share the flyer for the pedestrian safety campaign on the community Facebook page.
Discussions for Future Meetings
- Clarification to the Constitution regarding the president's voting rights in tie-breaking situations.
- Discussion of updates to the Constitution regarding individual versus household memberships
Detailed Summary
Franconia District Police Update
Major Deanna Weand, the Commander of the Franconia District Station, introduced herself and discussed current challenges in the district, including parking issues in Franconia and retail theft at shopping centers. Deanna encouraged attendees to sign up for the spring session of the Community Police Academy, which offers behind-the-scenes tours and demonstrations of police operations.
She explained the transition of the Fairfax Criminal Justice Academy from the old Headquarters to a temporary facility in Chantilly and described the upcoming plans for a new academy campus near the airport.
License Plate Camera Technology
Deanna discussed the current state of police technology in Fairfax County, including the use of e-bikes for neighborhood patrols and license plate readers (LPRs) for crime investigation. She explained that LPRs have been used by tow truck companies for decades and are now being adopted by police departments for tracking stolen vehicles and identifying suspects. She noted that the Fairfax LPR program is overseen by Major Hudson Bull at the Real Time Crime Center (RTCC). Deanna explained how license plate cameras have been used effectively in Fairfax County to solve crimes, including a recent case at Springfield Town Center where officers apprehended suspects with outstanding warrants. She emphasized that Fairfax County maintains strict compliance to safeguards in their system, including regular audits and maintaining records for only 21 days, the shortest retention period in the country. She detailed how the system uses both license plate reading and photographs to verify information and prevent false hits, illustrating this with examples of how the technology helped identify stolen license plates and catch criminals.
LPR Camera System Privacy Guidelines
Deanna explained the process and privacy considerations around license plate recognition (LPR) camera systems, noting that data is stored for 21 days before being permanently deleted. She clarified that while private property owners like apartment complexes and HOAs can install these systems, Fairfax County will not fund new installations. Deanna also addressed questions about data access, explaining that police can access private camera data only if the system participates in the program. She said that some communities use whitelisting to protect resident privacy. Deanna further discussed the use of cameras in Fairfax County, explaining that they help quickly solve crimes, including a recent case where cameras helped recover a kidnapped child within two hours. She clarified that the cameras cannot write tickets themselves and are separate from speed cameras, which only operate in active school or work zones. Deanna also explained that while the system could potentially be used to track offenses like littering if a license plate is captured, it would not be used for minor misdemeanor crimes due to the labor-intensive nature of such investigations.
Traffic Law Enforcement Challenges
Deanna discussed the challenges of enforcing traffic laws and protecting residents' privacy with camera systems. She explained that while the new system provides faster license plate checks through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), officers still need to verify information manually by cross-referencing with their Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system before taking action. Deanna discussed that residents can report excessive speeding, emphasizing the need for specific timeframes and locations to effectively address traffic issues. She also highlighted ongoing traffic safety initiatives in Fairfax County, including the Road Shark program targeting aggressive driving and a current 30-day Operation Safe Right Turn aimed at reducing pedestrian accidents.
Traffic Safety Discussion
Deanna discussed traffic safety initiatives, particularly focusing on pedestrian safety in October due to changing weather conditions. She explained that the department does not currently use AI cameras like LPRs for traffic enforcement. She noted that red light cameras were eliminated in Fairfax County over a decade ago. Deanna described the multi-stakeholder process for implementing traffic safety improvements, including regular meetings with the Board of Supervisors and VDOT. She shared an example of how intersection changes were made at Pope's Head after years of safety concerns. She also addressed the challenges of obtaining traffic calming devices, explaining that neighborhoods must provide data supporting the need for such measures, which involves complex traffic studies and approval processes.
School Pedestrian Safety Initiatives
Deanna discussed recent pedestrian accidents near schools, including a death at South Lakes and a hit-and-run in the Franconia district. She explained that crossing guards would not have prevented the South Lakes incident as they were assigned to different locations. She outlined current safety initiatives including traffic enforcement, educational flyers, armband distribution, and working with school administrators to message safety concerns.
Fairfax Police Innovation and Technology
When asked about innovation and technology use, Deanna described how many groups and vendors promote new technology to the department; how the department attends conferences to investigate new technology and how the department has strong relationships with other localities to share innovation.
Deanna explained how Fairfax County police use the Peregrine system, which integrates with CentralSquare to analyze police reports and provide AI-powered insights. She described how the system helps with data analysis for weekly core meetings based on Compstat methodology, allowing commanders to review district performance and make data-driven decisions. Deanna also detailed how they use the system to address specific issues like the Commerce Street homelessness initiative and to analyze patterns in assault cases on law enforcement officers.
Police Staffing
The conversation then shifted to police staffing, where Deanna explained that Fairfax County is now in an over-hire position due to successful recruitment efforts including pay parity with neighboring jurisdictions, hiring bonuses, and running four academies simultaneously. Deanna discussed the various specialized units in the police department, including the Threat Assessment Team (TAM) that investigates school threats and the helicopter unit primarily used for medevac operations. She explained how these specialized teams require experienced officers, which has led to reduced patrol staffing and the need for additional officers in the future. Deanna also described the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings held on the third Wednesday of each month at the Franconia Government Center, where community members can discuss local crime issues and concerns.
Constitution and Bylaws Review Meeting
The President led a discussion about proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, providing participants with time to review the documents. He stated that a summary of changes was sent via email and Facebook. When asked about dues, he confirmed that they are $20 per year per person. He answered a question about reporting requirements for the treasurer. He noted that the Treasurer, Ken, provides audits at meetings but there are no specific provisions in the current Constitution. The group discussed shifting from household-based to individual membership fees, with a proposed rate of $20 per person, though some members advocated for keeping household-based pricing due to current economic conditions. The Constitution changes were approved with a plan to further discuss household memberships and voting by the president. The meeting also addressed the need to fill the vice president position.
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