Video Cameras Enhance Security
To enhance the security for property owners and guests at Wintergreen, video cameras are in place at every entrance and exit. The network of cameras is managed by the Wintergreen Police Department. The arrival and departure of every vehicle is recorded with a time and date stamp.
Video systems like this are used worldwide on both public and private properties to deter crime and support criminal investigations ranging from petty theft to serious felonies. They have proved useful here over the years. Wintergreen's video system is strictly managed to respect individual privacy and constitutional rights.
ALPR cameras at the entrance to Wintergreen’s mountain community and resort.
Some, but not all, of the cameras at Wintergreen use a sophisticated Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) system. ALPR systems do more than just record video. The technology captures images of license plates and vehicles and compares them to law enforcement “hot lists” for stolen vehicles, wanted persons, missing or endangered individuals, AMBER and similar alerts, and other clearly defined public safety purposes.
The Code of Virginia and Wintergreen's policies "forbid ALPR for personal use, harassment or intimidation, tracking people based on protected characteristics or lawful speech, or any use that would infringe on constitutional rights." Intentional misuse can result in discipline, loss of access, and criminal charges.
Officers must confirm an ALPR alert and "develop independent reasonable suspicion" before stopping a vehicle.
All ALPR searches and access are logged in detailed audit trails that record who accessed the system, when, for what case, and for what purpose. The data in the system is retained, shared, and deleted in accordance with state laws and our own internal safeguards.
Access to all Wintergreen entryway video recordings is subject to similar strict rules.
Only trained, authorized personnel with unique logins may access ALPR data, and the agency maintains regular audits, equipment inspections, and mandatory training to ensure compliance and accountability. Virginia law requires that certain ALPR-related stops be reported to the statewide Community Policing Reporting Database.
Colonel Dennis Russell, Chief of Police