Alexandria Speeding Tickets Tied To Errors Voided

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The City of Alexandria will issue refunds for 2,169 speeding tickets resulting from staff's faulty testing of speedometers on five police vehicles during a three-year period. The city notified impacted drivers on Oct. 2.

The testing errors impacted a portion of speeding tickets between March 2016 and May 2019. The city identified the 2,169 speeding tickets associated with the improper speedometer testing out of 19,658 tickets in this three-year period.

A city supervisor had first found improper speedometer tests on five police vehicles in October 2017. An internal review followed, but it wasn't until January 2019 that the city manager called for a formal investigation from the internal auditor.

The city decided to void the tickets "because it may not be able to sufficiently defend the tickets if challenged in court." A request to vacate resulting convictions and dismiss the cases was approved in Alexandria General District Court on Oct. 1. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is working on reversing results of convictions, including demerit points and other impacts to driving records.

Police vehicles have their speedometers calibrated by the Department of General Services' Fleet Services Division. The internal auditor's investigation found the Fleet Services Division did not have written policies on the calibration program and that there was inconsistent application of the informal procedures. Another finding was informal communication between the Alexandria Police Department and Fleet Services Division regarding the calibration of police vehicles. The report said police officers were not aware of the improper speedometer testing.

The city said it has implemented recommendations from the auditor, which include improved testing protocols, enhanced staff training, improved communication between departments, and increased supervision and monitoring of the testing process. The police department now conducts a secondary review of speedometer test records, and copies of these records are kept in police vehicles.

"We recognize the burden placed on those affected, and we have taken significant proactive steps to restore public confidence and prevent future errors," wrote City Manager Mark Jinks in a statement. "Our community and our police officers should be able to expect that speeding tickets are based on properly tested equipment, and we sincerely regret that the City did not meet that expectation in certain cases."

Drivers eligible for refunds are asked to make requests at alexandriava.gov/SpeedingTickets by March 15, 2020.