Falls Church News-Press Online

On Prayer and Snakes Besides

Nicholas F. Benton — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:53:51 +0000

This is on the nature of prayer. It is almost a universal given that people pray, whether or not they admit to it. As since it is a veritable certainty that they do, let us propose at the outset to deny the contention that they don’t. It can be called different things, but the idea that it is among the most natural and common occurrences for the human mind to reflect on itself in a manner that, we are compelled to admit, falls under the term, prayer, cannot really be denied. The only issue is, really, the nature of the internal mental dialogue by which persons do what gets called prayer.

In our cosmopolitan culture, and especially in the neighborhoods where rationality is most highly valued, like around the nation’s capital, the claim that reason and so-called common sense eclipse the apparently irrational notion of prayer, of prayer to a higher being, to a God who listens in particular, does not change the equation that in times of crisis, such realities do exist. The notion that such a rational, listening God is out there, or in there, fully transcends what many concede ought to be otherwise. As the graduate theological seminarian I was back in the 1960s, my faith was grounded at the time in an admittedly irrational conviction that God was real and my faith was based on the claims of the founders of my chosen religion, namely, Christianity, where a personal deity and testaments to His existence are it its center.

How could I, on the one hand, affirm the tenets of my chosen faith and, on the other hand, equally affirm a solid belief in the laws of science and nature, when the two are so clearly in conflict? This, of course, was the basis of many of the dilemmas and dialogues of my fellow seminarians that often kept us up in heated and passionate discussions all night long. My arguments usually took on the nature of how it is impossible not to contend that there is a higher intelligence than man when that contention asserts that man is the apex of creation. In other words, how can mankind affirm a reality greater than its most advanced component?

In recent years, a lof of this argument has gotten confused when put in the context of creation. We didn’t use to assign superior attributes to aspects of creation that were not centered on the capacity of humans to engage in rational thought. Reason was the veritable given measuring advancement in development. Now this is not as universal a criterion as it once was, and I guess I haven’t really gotten over that, personally. Is there a moral or intellectual equivalent for measuring development or advancement of a species as there once was now that it is OK to argue that feelings, alone, or some equivalent, are appreciated as a valid measure of things? Can we now argue that an octopus, for example, is the moral equivalent of humans even if they don’t have the same capacity for intellectual thought? Many more people today are likely to contend that.

The reader will recognize a component of sarcasm in this, surely, even as we carry on this conversation, because the very notion that something is deemed by some measure of advancement superior to something without reference to the attributes of rational thought is considered veritably nonsensical. Now, dogs don’t have the same propensity for violence than cats, but that is subject to arguments either way. Or parakeets.

One angle is why it is that people generally consider snakes more inherently evil. It is more of a visceral reaction than usually recognized, so making a case more than in the most generic sense can be risky.

There is the retelling of the account of a snake who was rendered impotent by a holy man because the holy man saw the pain behind his angry demeanor. It is one of the few accounts where a snake was not the bad guy. (To be continued).

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Our Man In Arlington 9-3-2026

Bill fogarty — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:52:11 +0000

School has started – be careful out there, driving around town! Let me start with a helpful fact about the laws requiring cars to stop for a school bus, as set forth in the Police Department’s “Back-to-School Transportation Safety Campaign.” Did you know that on a multi-lane paved road with no divider, vehicles traveling in both directions must stop. For those of you traveling on a “multi-lane paved road,” such as Langston Boulevard near Lyon Village, everyone must stop. That is my PSA for the day.

The good news is that Arlington County pays a lot of attention to safe driving, with its Vision Zero project, defined as “a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.” The bad news is that, with the human element involved, fatalities and severe crashes still occur. August was a particularly difficult month, with two pedestrian deaths in the area (one being technically in Fairfax, at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Carlin Springs Road, and the other on Glebe Road, near South 14th Street.) In mid-August, there were two motorist crashes along Wilson Boulevard (cars crashing into a cyclist and an e-scooter rider). Investigations are ensuing, though I would note there was no citation issued for the e-scooter crash. I guess the bottom line is, indeed, “be careful out there”, whether driving, walking, cycling, or e-scooting.

The beginning of the school year also reminds me of another transportation challenge for our current culture, described by the acronym, “PUDOs”. For years our schools have had to deal with the ongoing complexities of “Pick Ups/Drop Offs” every school day (and many neighborhoods have had to deal with the traffic lines of cars meandering through their streets). This concept of PUDOs has migrated to the planning process for new developments in the County. The North Rosslyn Civic Association has been very focused on the need for new residential and mixed-use buildings to provide on-site features for rideshares, drop-offs, deliveries, and moving trucks. The Association has urged the County to require development applicants to show that vehicles servicing a building can operate on a daily basis without blocking the street. I appreciate their cogent points to the County, such as “Stop treating public streets as loading docks.” As noted by the Association, when building operations get pushed into travel lanes, the whole community absorbs congestion and the risk.

These transportation issues are related to the general topic of public safety. Staying with the theme of public safety in the latest news cycle, in August there were significant fires at two Arlington apartment buildings in the Ballston area. A two-alarm fire on the sixth floor of the Hyde Park condominium building was brought under control, displacing twelve residents in six of the units. Then there was a fire at the apartment building across from the Central Library; one resident and one firefighter were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. These incidents highlight the importance of a capable Fire Department. My recent columns looking back to 1926 noted the strong community support for volunteer fire companies. Fortunately, we now have dedicated professionals providing fire and emergency medical services, with over 400 uniformed and civilian employees, led by Fire Chief David Povlitz. There are nine fire stations, staffed 24 hours a day with a minimum of 75 personnel. The Fire Department also provides back-up aid to the airport, the Pentagon, and Fort Myer, along with mutual aid to our neighboring jurisdictions.

The Fire Department website provides interesting information about their work that could prove helpful to you. Their website includes an incredibly detailed “After-Action Report” describing the activities of Arlington County and supporting jurisdictions, agencies, and organizations in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon. This month marks 25 years since those attacks. There are several County events that will commemorate the anniversary, including a Fire Department event on September 11 at Fire Station 5, honoring those who responded. This is a time for reflection, and for gratitude. Perhaps the least we can do is to say a simple “thank you for your service” to our Fire Department and EMS personnel this month.

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Look Up, Slow Down: E-Bikes, Phones and a Changing Safety Challenge in Falls Church

Nick Gatz — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:51:12 +0000

There was a time when sharing a Falls Church sidewalk was relatively simple: pedestrians walked, bicycles passed by and cars stayed on the street.

That world is changing quickly.

E-bikes, electric scooters and other motorized devices have become increasingly common around the Little City. Some can travel considerably faster than a traditional bicycle, while smartphones have simultaneously created another challenge: drivers, pedestrians and riders who aren’t always looking at where they’re going.

Put those together in a compact, walkable city and there is an increasingly important message for everyone: look up, slow down and pay attention.

Falls Church Police have already taken notice.

The department recently launched a public education initiative after reporting that it is seeing more children and adults riding bicycles, scooters, e-bikes and other devices in ways that may put themselves and others at risk. Police are also reminding residents that not everything that looks like an e-bike or scooter is necessarily legal to operate on public streets, sidewalks or trails.

Part of the difficulty is that “e-bike” can describe machines with significantly different capabilities.

Virginia recognizes three classes of electric power-assisted bicycles. Class 1 bikes provide assistance only while the rider is pedaling, with assistance ending at 20 mph. Class 2 bikes can propel themselves without pedaling, but assistance ends at 20 mph. Class 3 bikes provide assistance while the rider is pedaling, with assistance ending at 28 mph. To qualify as an electric power-assisted bicycle under Virginia law, the motor can have an input of no more than 750 watts.

That means a legal electric bicycle capable of assisting its rider to nearly 30 mph may be sharing space with pedestrians, conventional bicycles and automobiles.

And that is where attention matters.

A pedestrian looking at a phone may step into a crosswalk without noticing a turning vehicle. A driver checking a notification may fail to see a bicycle approaching. An e-bike rider moving considerably faster than a pedestrian expects may suddenly encounter someone walking out of a business, driveway or side street.

Each person may believe someone else is paying attention.

That is exactly when dangerous situations can develop.

Virginia law generally permits e-bikes on sidewalks, although local governments and other public entities can restrict their use in certain locations. Riders using sidewalks and shared-use paths must yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing.

Drivers have responsibilities as well. Virginia law requires motorists overtaking bicycles and e-bikes to pass at a reasonable speed and provide at least three feet of clearance. If there isn’t enough room to safely do that within the lane, the driver must change lanes.

The growing popularity of e-bikes, scooters and similar devices has generated enough concern that Virginia lawmakers have now ordered the Department of Motor Vehicles to convene a statewide work group to examine their safety.

The group is tasked with considering whether Virginia needs new regulations or legislation governing electric power-assisted bicycles, motorized scooters, mopeds and similar devices. Its recommendations are due to General Assembly transportation leaders by Nov. 1.

The News-Press will take a deeper look at Virginia’s growing e-bike debate, including questions about speeds, ages, classifications and enforcement, in an upcoming issue.

For now, improving safety doesn’t necessarily require waiting for another law.

Falls Church Police are specifically asking families to talk with children about safe riding habits and review what type of e-bike they are using to ensure that it meets legal standards. The department’s guidance also tells parents and riders to research devices before buying them, understand where they can legally be used, make helmets and safe riding non-negotiable and supervise younger riders.

Virginia law also prohibits anyone under 14 from operating a Class 3 e-bike unless under the immediate supervision of someone at least 18 years old.

But responsibility doesn’t stop with e-bike riders.

Drivers can put down their phones and check crosswalks before turning. Pedestrians can look up before stepping into the street. Riders can slow down around people and announce themselves before passing. Parents can find out exactly what their children are riding — and how fast it can go.

Technology can help Falls Church Police investigate incidents. Cameras, license plate readers and other tools may help establish what happened afterward.

But preventing an accident requires something far less sophisticated.

Put the phone down. Take out the earbuds. Slow down. Look both ways. Expect the unexpected.

Whether you’re behind a steering wheel, holding handlebars or simply walking down a Falls Church sidewalk, the most important safety technology may still be paying attention.

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A Penny for Your Thoughts 9-3-2026

Penny Gross — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:48:26 +0000

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Thomas Jefferson’s florid words set the tone for the American Declaration of Independence, but he might be surprised to find that those truths aren’t self-evident for many in this country today. The concerted attempts by the Trump Administration to demean women, deprive voting rights for persons of color, reduce opportunities for public education, and drive an even greater split between the “haves” and “have nots” are creating an American landscape that makes a mockery of the principles that founded this nation. Maybe that’s the point behind the Machiavellian Project 2025.

Wringing hands and moaning about waiting out the next couple of years won’t help. Depending on who holds power, human rights have been celebrated or demonized for centuries, perhaps millennia, as society gradually has recognized that democratic ideals can be achievable for a broader populace. Within the last century, and especially after the conclusion of World War II, the belief that human rights should be a universal concept has spanned political boundaries across the world. Earlier, Jefferson was inspired by the English philosopher John Locke, the concept of a social contract, and limited representative government. Abraham Lincoln, too, alluded to some of those ideas in his brief and immortal Gettysburg Address. The simple question, though, is: where do universal human rights begin?

In a presentation to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in late March of 1958, Eleanor Roosevelt answered that question. “In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person: the neighborhood he lives in; in the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning everywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.”

Mrs. Roosevelt didn’t mention places of worship, the PTA, social clubs, the tennis court, swimming pool, or on-line gatherings (those would be decades in the future), but her focus was on target. Ensuring universal human rights is dependent on the individual. Governments can enact legislation that promulgates human rights, and enforce against discrimination, but human rights depend on individual practices, on the understanding and extension to neighbor-to-neighbor and, sometimes, stranger-to-stranger. And we should not forget that human rights and the happiness that Jefferson wrote about cannot be separated from economics. Stimulating greater job opportunities for workers and wider markets for farmers and businesses serves the cause of ensuring and expanding universal human rights to an ever-growing population, here and abroad. A review of recent Trump Administration announcements – a rising unemployment rate, a ridiculous war of words and tariffs against our neighbor Canada, engineering the dismissal or firing of military and government employees a la Pete Hegseth – signals an astounding lack of commitment to universal human rights.

We may never find perfection, but must always continue to try, to continue the fight even as generations mature and disappear. So, the mantra for us, and for succeeding generations, as Eleanor Roosevelt might have advised, is simple: if it is to be, it is up to me.

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Defense Dominates as Meridian Mustangs Take Opener

Dino Simcox — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:48:08 +0000

A defensive masterclass by the Meridian Mustangs’ varsity football team propelled them to a home opener win against the 6A Justice Wolves. The defense shut out the Wolves for nearly the entire game, before letting up a touchdown in the final moments to make the final score a respectable 17-7.

Meridian’s running back room was responsible for both the team’s touchdowns, one by junior Chris Capannola and the other by senior Jetson Fitzpatrick.

It’s the Mustangs’ second win against Justice in as many seasons, as well as the first time the Mustangs have won their home opener in five years, the last time being a 37-7 blowout win over Falls Church in August of 2021.

Some time after the game, senior tight end and defensive lineman Sebastian Roncoroni expressed his pride in the team.

“It feels great to start the year off strong, and even though we have many games to go, it’s nice to start the year with a win and set a path for the season,” Roncoroni reflected.

The Mustangs will look to ride this momentum into a challenging week two matchup against the Kettle Run Cougars, who have made the state championship in each of the last two years. To make things even more difficult, the Mustangs are the visiting team, meaning they will travel 40 minutes to Nokesville for the contest.

“Playing one of the top teams is an exciting opportunity. It’ll be great to compete and see what we can do. The team and I are excited for Thursday,” Roncoroni commented.

As Roncoroni said, the Mustangs will play the Cougars on Thursday, Sep 3, at 7 p.m. A win against Kettle Run would mark the first time Meridian has beaten the Cougars in school history. Kettle Run holds a perfect 4-0 record over the Mustangs, with the first matchup held in September of 2021. Meridian will look to finally get in the win column of this head-to-head.

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Why Worry About New Housing Goals?

Nicholas F. Benton — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:47:08 +0000

Here comes the conundrum for affordable housing in Falls Church and in many communities like it across the nation: Who is this for, ultimately?

If we are proposing to offer affordable housing to anyone whose income parameters match the requirements in the ordinance, then it is equally available to whomever applies whether or not they meet any other criteria, like length of years living in the community or proof of employment in the jurisdiction. Without identifying these or related measures of connection to a community, then the reward afforded that person is devoid of any distinguishing criteria whatsoever.

If this is the case, then, what becomes the criteria for selecting one person over another if more than one qualifies for the same space? Can criteria be applied after the fact?

These are among the important questions which the whole issue of affordable housing raises for all of us.

If the issue is to provide so-called workforce housing, then criteria such as the nature of the employment, as a teacher in the local school system or other factors, come into play. Can the City set such standards for employment or can’t they? It seems to us that it will be important to any community offering breaks on housing rates that these kinds of questions get answers before rather than after the fact.

It seems to us that the issue of affordable housing, as critical as it is, needs to be applied across the board to everyone in a given community. We are not sure that what has been set as standards have as yet been adequately addressed.

The only real solution is a comprehensive one that sets as its goal housing for all. It will be a measure that will be a challenge for any community to live up to, and few can be counted on to be satisfied with however this challenge gets addressed.

We face as a nation perhaps our biggest challenge in the achievement of equity and the universality of our housing options. We are confronting a need greater than any we’ve been challenged as yet to address, and sweeping universal remedies are likely the only ones that will actually work.

The bolder the solutions, the actually more likely they are to succeed. The single biggest factor will remain a generosity of spirit, an approach to affordability that succeeds in bringing our widely disparate neighborhoods together.

Does this mean that we go more socialistic as a culture? What is wrong with that? We feel so nervous about words that lack real meaning. Is there anywhere in the U.S. where we would be more likely to find an overriding value system? We are pragmatists above all, and that phrase is the one we need to better understand.

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Falls Church Isn’t Just a City (It’s also a Church!)

Amy Bowker — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:45:24 +0000

When I first moved to Falls Church, I was confused when a relative referred to “The Falls Church” as though it were a specific building and not a city. Turns out, it’s both! And it’s an interesting story of how this one building has played a big part in our city’s history.

When we refer to The Falls Church, we are talking about the historic building that is located at 115 E Fairfax Street, near the intersection of Washington Blvd and Broad Street. But it wasn’t always the red brick structure we see today. The Falls Church was once a wooden structure built in 1734. There were very few churches in this area at the time and they were spaced widely apart. So, this particular church was referred to as the one near “the falls”, which meant the Potomac River. The name, The Falls Church, officially took hold around 1757 when the first recorded reference was noted.

The historic building has gone through many renovations and upgrades throughout the years. The first notable renovation took place in 1769, when the original wooden structure was entirely replaced by a new brick building designed by architect James Wren. George Washington was one of the church wardens in 1763 who reviewed construction bids on the new building. Despite additional renovations over the years, including repairs made after the Civil War, the structure of the church remains unchanged from 1769.

The Falls Church played a big role in two significant wars. During the Revolutionary War, the church served as a recruiting station for the Fairfax militia. And during the Civil War, the building was used as a hospital for Union troops.

Today, the Falls Church is surrounded by a Memorial Garden and Memorial Chapel. The historic building is still used for special occasions, such as the recitation of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, and you can also join a guided tour on the first Sunday of each month to learn more about the building’s history.

The gravestones that surround The Falls Church are just as historic as the building itself. Some of these gravestones date all the way back to the 18th century (the 1700s), and some of the names and dates have faded so much over the years that we can no longer read them. But the oldest gravestone we can still read belongs to John Carolin who was born in 1764 and died in 1803.

Among the other gravestones, we’ll find Simon Sommers (1747 – 1836), who is the only known Revolutionary War veteran buried at this site. You’ll find a bronze plaque next to his gravestone that identifies his service. Henry Fairfax is also buried here, and he lived from 1804 to 1847. He isn’t the same man that Fairfax County is named after (that would be Thomas Fairfax who lived much earlier, from 1693 – 1781), but Henry financed major renovations to the church in the 1830s and 1840s. There are also markers near the church to commemorate unknown Union and Confederate soldiers from the Civil War.

Other notable historical figures buried here include anti-slavery activist John D. Read (1812-1864), along with George and Ruben Ives who were all members of the Falls Church Home Guard, an interracial militia of Union loyalists that protected villagers during the Civil War. Artemesia Scott (1843 – 1908), who was a Confederate spy, is also buried here.

Members of the Bailey family are buried here as well. You might have heard of this famous family, they ran the Barnum and Bailey Circus. It’s interesting to note that the headstone for George F. Bailey is the tallest in the entire cemetery. The Ball-Dulaney family plots are located in front of the church. The Balls were related to George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington.

In the mid-1700s, the area surrounding the church began calling itself Falls Church; first as the village of Falls Church, then the Town of Falls Church. And in 1948, we officially became the City of Falls Church. And that’s how we ended up with The Falls Church located within Falls Church.

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Senator Saddam Salim August Report

FCNP.com — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:45:03 +0000

Progress Requires Public Power!

Virginia did not become the world’s data center capital overnight. Northern Virginia’s rise began with federal-era fiber investments, the establishment of the MAE-East internet hub in the 1990s, and the arrival of companies such as AOL in Loudoun County. In 2000, a local zoning determination treated data centers like office parks, opening the door to years of largely “by-right” development. By 2008, Loudoun had branded itself Data Center Alley, while Virginia created tax incentives that accelerated corporate growth.

That history matters because today’s scale is different. What began as a promising economic development strategy has become an industry with enormous demands for land, transmission infrastructure, water, and electricity. Loudoun has roughly 250 built data centers and more than 100 in development, according to a county strategy document.

Data centers have created jobs and generated local tax revenue. But a progressive vision of growth must ask harder questions: are communities consulted before major facilities and transmission lines reshape their neighborhoods? Are families protected from higher electric bills? Are we requiring responsible water use and cleaner energy production?

Those questions become even more urgent in light of the proposed merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. Dominion is not merely another company; it is a state regulated utility that sells about 60% of the electricity in the Commonwealth. Its decisions affect whether a family can afford summer air conditioning, or whether a small business can keep its doors open. In the context of exploding data center demand, the merger could further concentrate authority over infrastructure that will be part of our economic and environmental future.

NextEra’s history underscores why independent regulators and the public must look closely. In 2016, NextEra sought to acquire Hawaiian Electric Industries, but Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission rejected the $4.3 billion proposal after finding that the companies had not demonstrated sufficient public benefits or an adequate commitment to the state’s clean energy goals.

NextEra also pursued the acquisition of Oncor in Texas. The Public Utility Commission of Texas rejected that proposal in 2017, finding it was not in the public interest. Regulators cited risks to ratepayers, including concerns about the utility’s independence and weakened financial protections that were meant to insulate customers from the parent company’s risks.

Virginia should learn from those experiences. Any merger must prove, not merely promise, that it will benefit ratepayers, preserve strong independent oversight, advance a just clean energy transition, and put the public interest before corporate balance sheets.

Virginia can choose a better path. We can continue to demand that corporations pay their fair share, as the Virginia Senate did when we insisted that data centers pay theirs, leading to the nation’s first Data Center Electricity Consumption Tax. We can also insist that mergers face a rigorous public interest review, and that the voice of the people be heard in that process. The State Corporation Commission is undertaking their review now, and I have invited them to attend one of my town hall meetings in Fairfax County.

Progress is not measured simply by how much we build, how much power we generate, or how much data we collect. Economic development should lift communities, not ask them to surrender their quality of life, their natural resources, or their voice.

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Will FC’s EDA Permit Non-Profit Status for Housing?

Nicholas F. Benton — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:26:58 +0000

By a unanimous vote at its monthly meeting this Tuesday night, the City of Falls Church’s Economic Development Authority determined to move ahead with the potential use of its tax exempt revenue bonding authority for purposes of acquiring The Fields, a rental property with over 90 units that have been under contract with the City to offer affordable housing on Ellison Street, an agreement that is set to expire in the next two years.

It is reported that ownership of The Fields received a number of bids for acquisition of the entire site with a deadline of last weekend. The EDA, with access to the issuance of revenue bonds at a non-profit rate, would be best positioned to make a compelling bid for acquisition of The Fields, but will need to step up with an offer quickly.

The last time the EDA used its authority for non-profit revenue bond issuance came when it voted to offer such bonds for the non-profit Easter Seals foundation for a development project in the City. The City of Falls Church would bear no liability for the bonds should the EDA move ahead to provide them.

According to the City of Falls Church’s website, steps in the application process, while there may be some variation in the timing and sequence of events leading up to issuance of the bonds, normally proceeds as follows:

1. The applicant decides to acquire, construct, or renovate real property in the City of Falls Church.

2. The applicant consults with bond counsel to determine eligibility for tax-exempt financing.

3. The applicant begins to arrange for financing, either through a financial institution or through an underwriter.

4. The applicant submits an application (17 sets) requesting the EDA to issue bonds, complete with payment of application fee (payable to “City of Falls Church”).

5. Staff and counsel to the EDA review application for completeness. If the application is in order, the application is put on the agenda for a public hearing at the next EDA meeting.

6. A newspaper notice of the public hearing is published once a week for two successive weeks. NOTE: State law requires that the public hearing take place no fewer than six nor more than twenty-one days after the second notice appears in the newspaper. The EDA Board meets on the first Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Accordingly, in order to comply with state law, the notice of the public hearing on the application must be published in a newspaper of general circulation on or before the two Wednesdays immediately prior to the Tuesday date for the public hearing. Bond counsel may determine that certain additional notice requirements must be met in order to comply with Internal Revenue Code provisions relative to tax-exempt financing.

7. The EDA conducts the public hearing and the EDA Board votes on a resolution approving the application and recommending that the Falls Church City Council approve the issuance of bonds.

8. The Falls Church City Council adopts a resolution approving the issuance of the bonds. NOTE: State law requires that the City Council’s approval take place within sixty days of the public hearing by the EDA. The Falls Church City Council meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, unless otherwise noted.

9. Simultaneously with the approval process outlined in Steps 7 and 8 above, bond counsel prepares the bond documents reflecting the financial transactions relating to issuance of the bonds. The documents are submitted to counsel for the EDA to review.

10. The EDA adopts a final resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds.

11. Bond counsel conducts the bond closing. EDA officials execute bond documents in accordance with the terms of the resolutions passed by the EDA.

12. The administrative fee is initially payable in advance at closing, and thereafter is payable annually and due on the anniversary date of the issuance of the bonds.

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Flock Cameras Draw Fire — Falls Church Has None

Nick Gatz — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 01:26:31 +0000

Special Report • Privacy & Policing

As Flock Faces a National Backlash, Falls Church Explains Its License Plate Readers

Falls Church does use plate-reading technology — but not Flock’s fixed-camera network. Virginia law now puts strict limits on how police can search, retain and share the data.

Photo: City of Falls Church

21 days Ordinary police ALPR data generally must be purged.

2 years Audit-trail information showing who searched must be kept.

30 days Departments must audit system use at least this often.

No Flock Chief Shahram Fard says Falls Church has no fixed Flock cameras.

Falls Church News-Press • Interactive presentation

Automated cameras capable of recording where vehicles travel have spread across the country, giving police a powerful new investigative tool — and creating a growing national fight over just how much the government should know about where people go.

At least 69 police officials have now been accused, charged with, or convicted of misusing Flock Safety or other automated license plate reader systems for unauthorized purposes, according to an August investigation by The Washington Post. In some cases, officers allegedly searched for former romantic partners or other people for reasons that had nothing to do with legitimate police work. The newspaper found that some departments weren’t even regularly auditing how their officers were using the technology.

Flock, which operates more than 120,000 cameras nationally and says its network processes some 20 billion plate scans a month, announced additional safeguards in August amid the scrutiny, including mandatory case numbers for searches and automatic reviews for abnormal activity.

The controversy has now reached Virginia. Last week in Central Virginia, Goochland County Sheriff Steven Creasey suspended his office’s use of Flock cameras after considering community input, privacy concerns, data access, and what he called the “evolving legal landscape.” Creasey emphasized that the decision was not prompted by any identified misuse by his department.

In Falls Church, however, Police Chief Shahram Fard says there is an important distinction residents should know.

“We don’t have any fixed cameras across the city and specifically Flock, we don’t have any relationship with,” Fard told the News-Press during an extensive interview about the City’s use of license plate-reading technology.

Falls Church Police do use automated license plate readers, commonly called LPRs or ALPRs. The Department has used the technology in some form for more than 15 years.

But its current readers are mobile, incorporated into the Department’s newer Axon in-car camera system rather than positioned as fixed cameras around the City. And perhaps more importantly, Falls Church’s readers operate under a Virginia law that now places unusually detailed restrictions on what police can do with the information after a camera reads a plate. Those restrictions include:

Most ordinary police ALPR data must be destroyed after 21 days.

AUDIT

Police searches must be tied to purposes authorized by state law and leave an audit trail.

Departments must audit use of the system at least once every 30 days.

STOP

An ALPR alert by itself does not constitute reasonable suspicion to stop a vehicle.

Police cannot sell the data, and Virginia restricts its dissemination to federal, out-of-state, private and commercial databases.

CRIME

And anyone who willfully and intentionally accesses the system for an unauthorized purpose or improperly sells, shares or disseminates its information can be convicted of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Virginia goes even further: evidence obtained through certain violations of the ALPR law is inadmissible when offered by the Commonwealth in a criminal or civil proceeding.

Those aren’t promises from Falls Church Police.

They are Virginia law.

Virginia is not the only state regulating automated license plate readers. But its current law puts together an unusually extensive collection of safeguards governing police use of the technology — controlling why the data can be searched, how long it survives, how searches are audited, when it can justify a traffic stop, where the information can travel and what can happen when someone deliberately violates the rules.

FALLS CHURCH HAS USED LPRs SINCE 2010

Falls Church’s use of license plate readers predates Flock’s current nationwide network.

The Police Department obtained its first two readers in 2010 through a federal Department of Homeland Security grant distributed to law-enforcement agencies throughout the Washington metropolitan region.

The original equipment was mounted on marked police vehicles. Today’s system is considerably different.

Fard said the City’s current LPR technology is incorporated into its newer in-car camera system, with equipment mounted around the windshield rather than the conspicuous external readers used on older police vehicles. The City’s broader body-worn and in-car camera system is supplied by Axon Enterprises. Falls Church authorized a five-year contract with Axon for those systems.

As an officer drives, the system can read plates and generate notifications involving specific categories of law-enforcement information.

Fard said those include missing or endangered persons, wanted persons, stolen vehicles, and stolen license plates.

The system is not identifying the people inside the vehicles.

“No facial recognition,” Fard said.

That doesn’t mean license plate information is insignificant.

Virginia’s statute defines ALPR system data broadly. It can include an image of a license plate, an image of the vehicle, identifying characteristics of the vehicle, and the date, time and location at which the image was captured.

One plate reading may reveal little.

Thousands of readings stored over months or years could reveal considerably more.

Virginia law largely prevents police from creating that kind of indefinite archive.

21 DAYS — THEN IT GOES

Virginia Code §2.2-5517 requires police ALPR system data to be purged 21 days after it is captured, unless it falls under an exception for an ongoing investigation, prosecution or civil action.

The destruction requirement applies not only to the police department. The vendor has to lose it, too.

State law requires approved systems to be capable of purging the information “in such a manner” that it cannot be recovered by either the vendor or the law-enforcement agency.

Fard said Falls Church’s system complies with the 21-day requirement and that the City owns its police ALPR data.

Virginia law now requires contracts with ALPR vendors to specify that system and audit-trail data belong to the law-enforcement agency. Vendors must also certify that they will not sell or share Virginia system data except as permitted by the statute.

But while the ordinary plate information generally disappears after 21 days, Virginia deliberately keeps something else longer:

The record showing who searched for it.

Audit-trail information must be maintained for two years.

“Every search is stored,” Fard said.

Virginia requires enough information to create that audit trail before an officer queries system data. The statute limits searches to specific purposes, including qualifying criminal investigations, active investigations involving missing or endangered people or human trafficking, and specified alerts involving wanted persons, missing or endangered persons, stolen vehicles and stolen license plates.

Departments must have internal auditing procedures that operate at least once every 30 days.

The plate data generally gets 21 days.

The record of who went looking gets two years.

That distinction has become particularly significant in light of what has happened elsewhere.

The Washington Post reported in August that at least 69 police officials nationally had been accused, charged with or convicted of unauthorized misuse of Flock or other LPR systems. Its investigation found that some departments did not routinely audit searches and that, in at least 15 cases, someone outside the police department — including victims, activists and journalists — first identified potential misuse.

Virginia law requires the audit.

And Virginia attached criminal consequences to deliberate abuse.

Anyone who willfully and intentionally queries, accesses or uses an ALPR system for a purpose not authorized by the statute — or willfully and intentionally sells, shares or disseminates the information in violation of the law — is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

A COMPUTER HIT IS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP YOU

Virginia has also placed a legal barrier between an ALPR notification and the flashing lights in someone’s rearview mirror.

The statute explicitly states that an ALPR notification “does not, by itself, constitute reasonable suspicion” to stop a vehicle.

Before making a stop based on the notification, the officer must either develop independent reasonable suspicion or confirm that the license plate or identifying characteristics of the vehicle match the information in the database that generated the notification.

Fard emphasized the same requirement during his interview with the News-Press.

The system can alert an officer.

The officer still has to verify what the system found.

That safeguard matters because a database can be outdated, a plate can be stolen, a vehicle can change owners and the person behind the wheel may have nothing to do with whatever information caused the alert.

Virginia law does not allow the computer’s answer, standing alone, to justify the stop.

WHAT ABOUT THE FEDS — OR ICE?

Perhaps the most consequential restriction involves what happens when somebody else wants the data.

Virginia law says police cannot sell ALPR system or audit data. It also prohibits a law-enforcement agency from sharing that data with, or disseminating it to, a database belonging to another state, the federal government, or a private or commercial entity.

The law does permit specific forms of disclosure, including sharing with another law-enforcement agency for purposes authorized by the statute if the receiving agency complies with Virginia’s requirements. It also permits disclosures involving prosecutors, criminal discovery, court orders and court-issued subpoenas, along with several other narrowly defined circumstances.

So the law is not an absolute prohibition against any piece of ALPR information ever reaching a federal or outside law-enforcement agency.

But neither does it permit Falls Church to simply open its system or feed its vehicle-location information into a federal or nationwide database.

The News-Press asked Fard specifically about federal authorities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

His response was direct.

“We can’t share with the feds, which means we can’t share it with ICE,” Fard said while explaining the restrictions governing the City’s system.

Fard also said Falls Church would scrutinize requests from other law-enforcement agencies rather than treating legal authority to share as an automatic reason to do so.

His broader point: Just because the Department may be legally allowed to share information doesn’t mean it automatically should.

That distinction is especially notable for a Northern Virginia community just miles from Washington and surrounded by local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies.

Virginia law doesn’t make the information impossible to obtain through legitimate legal processes.

It does put walls around routine access.

VIRGINIA REQUIRES POLICE TO SHOW THEIR WORK

Virginia’s law also requires police agencies to account publicly for how they are using the technology.

Agencies must report annually to Virginia State Police information including how many ALPR cameras they operate, how many searches were performed and why, how many vehicles were stopped because of system notifications, demographic information about drivers stopped, whether other agencies have access, identified instances of unauthorized use and how many subpoenas, search warrants and other third-party requests for information were received.

The law requires agencies to publicly post both their ALPR policy and their annual report, with exceptions protecting personal, case-identifying and other sensitive information.

Falls Church has another reporting mechanism as well.

Under Virginia’s Community Policing Act, the City collects information from motor vehicle traffic and investigatory stops. Fard said state reporting now allows LPR-related stops to be identified as well.

The Department’s General Orders are publicly accessible, and Fard said Falls Church updated its LPR policy in September 2025 and issued a standing order July 31, 2026, following the latest changes in state law.

And if an LPR alert ultimately leads to a police encounter, another piece of technology can create another record.

Falls Church has used in-car dash cameras since 2012 and body-worn cameras since May 2022. The City’s body-camera system can be activated manually and can also activate automatically; turning on a patrol vehicle’s emergency lights is one publicly identified trigger.

Once footage is captured and uploaded, the City says officers cannot edit, change or delete it. Recordings not subject to another legal retention requirement are generally retained for 90 days.

The result is several layers of documentation: an LPR query creates an audit trail; an LPR-related traffic stop creates reportable data; and the police encounter itself may produce video.

FALLS CHURCH HAS ANOTHER LPR — AND IT ISN’T POLICE

There is another license plate reader operating within Falls Church government.

It isn’t Flock.

It isn’t part of the Police Department’s Axon system.

And it isn’t being used for criminal investigations.

This one is about taxes.

City Treasurer Jody Acosta and Commissioner of the Revenue Tom Clinton are preparing to fully reactivate a single mobile Leonardo ELSAG license plate reader mounted on a dedicated City vehicle.

The City originally purchased the system before the Covid pandemic. According to Acosta, the hardware and warranty cost $16,018, with another $5,620 for software — a total initial cost of $21,638.

The original plan called for hiring a part-time retired sheriff’s deputy or police officer to locate vehicles associated with delinquent personal property taxes. The Sheriff’s Office provided a retired vehicle that otherwise would have been sold at auction.

Covid stalled the program.

Acosta said the Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue have worked since last year to restart it, and the offices now have a dedicated City vehicle provided from the Police Department fleet.

The single reader has two purposes.

For the Treasurer, the City imports a list of vehicles associated with delinquent taxes from its existing tax system. As the vehicle travels through the City, the reader scans plates and generates an alert when it finds a match.

Acosta said the reader is intended as a last-resort collection tool after the City has already sent multiple delinquency notices and pursued other collection mechanisms, including DMV stops.

If a delinquent vehicle is ultimately located, the City can “seize” it in place. Its plates can be removed and a large orange notice placed on the windshield informing the owner that the vehicle has been seized for delinquent taxes. The owner must resolve the outstanding debt before the plates are returned.

Clinton’s office will use the same reader differently.

The Commissioner of the Revenue is looking for vehicles that appear to be garaged in Falls Church but aren’t registered locally for taxation.

Clinton told the News-Press that the reader captures plate information that can then be cross-referenced against DMV records. The system is being reimplemented specifically to identify vehicles that appear to have situs in the City but have not been registered locally as required.

During Commissioner of the Revenue runs, the reader will be temporarily mounted on a City vehicle. Rather than targeting specific individuals, vehicles or neighborhoods, Clinton said routes will be planned to provide broad and efficient geographic coverage throughout the City.

The reader continuously looks at license plates as the vehicle travels. Clinton said registered vehicles will not be kept in the Commissioner’s spreadsheet. Instead, collected records will be used to flag vehicles that appear multiple times, allowing staff to determine whether a vehicle may be regularly garaged in Falls Church.

The system records the license plate number and date and time and temporarily retains a photograph. Clinton said photographs captured by the reader are currently configured to automatically delete after seven days. A spreadsheet retains a record of the plate number and date so staff can compare vehicles appearing during different runs.

That provides a more precise picture of the system’s retention practices than earlier information provided to the News-Press indicating registration-discovery information would generally remain only 24 to 48 hours. The image itself is automatically deleted after seven days, while the plate-and-date record may remain in the spreadsheet for comparison between runs.

City officials say the purpose is limited to determining whether vehicles that should be registered for local taxation have been identified. The Commissioner said no tickets will be issued simply because a vehicle has not been registered with the City. Instead, the owner may receive an informational warning or reminder placed on the windshield.

Most importantly, officials describe the system as a closed loop.

The data is stored on a dedicated City-controlled server located within the City’s network. Leonardo assisted the City with installation and configuration, but Clinton said the City controls the information and access to it.

Access to information collected during Commissioner of the Revenue runs is limited to designated Commissioner staff. Clinton said the system will not be used to conduct investigative searches for particular individuals or vehicles.

Access to the Commissioner’s spreadsheet of plates and dates is not itself logged. Any subsequent searches of Virginia DMV information, however, are logged by the state.

Clinton also said information collected through the Treasurer and Commissioner LPR program cannot be accessed by the Police Department or another City department.

And unlike the nationwide sharing concerns that have surrounded some law-enforcement LPR networks, City officials say this system isn’t connected to Flock and its information will not be voluntarily provided to outside law-enforcement agencies.

Asked specifically whether the data could be shared with another locality, state or federal law-enforcement agency, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the City’s answer was no.

“The City will at no point voluntarily provide this LPR data to any law enforcement agencies,” officials said.

The City is also working on a webpage outlining the system’s permissible uses, access, retention, security and data-sharing practices. Officials said residents may submit Virginia Freedom of Information Act requests regarding the program, with the City responding in accordance with Virginia public-records law and any applicable exemptions.

Virginia law also treats this reader differently. Section 2.2-5517 expressly excludes systems used by state or local agencies for non-criminal justice purposes from the police ALPR requirements contained in that statute.

The Treasurer/Commissioner system therefore doesn’t operate under precisely the same 21-day police retention rule. City officials instead say their system is designed around its limited tax and registration purposes, with photographs automatically deleted after seven days and registration records maintained to compare vehicles appearing during separate runs.

The distinction helps explain why the national fight over license plate readers isn’t really about whether a camera can read a plate.

Of course it can.

The larger question is what happens to the information after it does.

Falls Church Police use mobile LPR technology integrated with their Axon in-car system. They do not use Flock’s fixed-camera network.

Police searches have to be conducted for purposes authorized under Virginia law. The searches leave audit trails. The system has to be audited. Ordinary system data generally disappears after 21 days. An alert alone isn’t enough to justify a traffic stop. The data cannot be sold. Outside sharing is restricted. Police have to report publicly on how the system is being used.

And intentional misuse can be a crime.

The Treasurer and Commissioner of the Revenue operate a separate Leonardo ELSAG reader for an entirely different purpose: identifying delinquent-tax vehicles and vehicles that may not be properly registered for local taxation. It is locally controlled, isn’t connected to Flock or the Police Department’s system, and City officials say its information will not be voluntarily provided to outside law enforcement.

Same basic technology.

Very different systems.

And as Flock’s enormous camera network faces increasing scrutiny across the country, Virginia has chosen not to wait for the technology to police itself.

It has put rules around the data — who can search it, why they can search it, how long it can exist, where it can go, and what happens when someone deliberately crosses the line.

For Falls Church residents wondering whether the controversial Flock cameras appearing across America are quietly watching the City’s streets, Fard’s answer remains the simplest:

“We don’t have any fixed cameras across the city and specifically Flock, we don’t have any relationship with.”

Flock Safety did not respond to a News-Press request for comment for this story.

Two readers. Two very different systems.

Falls Church Police

Mobile Axon in-car LPR technology
No fixed Flock network
Police/investigative purposes under Virginia law
Ordinary data generally purged after 21 days
Search audit trails retained for two years

Treasurer / Commissioner

Single mobile Leonardo ELSAG reader
Used for delinquent taxes and local vehicle registration
Not part of the Police Department system
Photos currently auto-delete after seven days
City officials say data is not voluntarily shared with outside law enforcement

The post Flock Cameras Draw Fire — Falls Church Has None first appeared on Falls Church News-Press Online.