"Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs or LPRs) are AI-powered cameras that
capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car's location, date, and time. They also capture your car's make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points."
"
Flock Safety (
https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Flock_Safety) is one of the largest ALPR vendors in the United States. Their cameras are installed for police departments, businesses, and HOAs. Captured vehicle data is uploaded to Flock's cloud system, where participating agencies can search and share information across jurisdictions."
Welcome to DeFlock - An open-source project mapping license plate readers (113,196
LPRs mapped in the USA):
https://deflock.org/
https://maps.deflock.org/Flockhopper - has an app available:
https://dontgetflocked.com/ Use full map to see details.
Interactive Camera Map - Click any marker to see camera details. Zoom in on your neighborhood:
https://alprmaps.com/flock-safety-map
https://alprmaps.com/flock-cameras/phoenix-az - Not a lot reported in Phoenix yet ...
Includes HOA Safe-List instructions and a privacy route planner ...
Guide: Find Flock Cameras in Your Area - Why Rural Communities Should Pay Attention:
https://ruralprivacy.org/find-flock-alprs-in-your-area
"Flock cameras are easy to spot once you know what to look for:
Mounted on metal poles or street signs, sometimes on existing utility poles
Often near town entrances, main intersections, or school zones
A small black camera box with a solar panel on top -
Sometimes paired with a small cellular antenna"
Flock Safety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flock_SafetyWhen Flock Surveillance Comes to Your Town: Everything to Know About These Cameras -
Flock Safety is setting up cams and drones around the country. Here's why communities are fighting back and exactly how this technology works:
https://www.cnet.com/home/security/when-flock-comes-to-town-why-cities-are-axing-the-controversial-surveillance-technology/
"Due to concerns over privacy and how Flock allows data to be used,
dozens of cities have cancelled their Flock contracts this year. Bend, Oregon, was one of them, but only after passionate city council meetings. Some towns have even had to cover Flock cameras with plastic bags because they aren't sure if the cams are shut down."
"Following Super Bowl ads about finding lost dogs, Flock was under scrutiny about its planned partnership with Ring, Amazon's security brand. The integration would have allowed police to request the use of Ring-brand home security cameras for investigations.
Following intense public backlash, Ring cut ties with Flock ..."
"... it usually means the installation of ALPR cameras to capture license plate photos and monitor cars on the street."
"... Flock reports on its site that its surveillance system is intended to reduce crime, including property crimes such as "mail and package theft, home invasions, vandalism, trespassing, and burglary." The company also says it frequently solves violent crimes like 'assault, kidnappings, shootings and homicides.'"
"
Flock's stance, as outlined in its privacy and ethics guide, is that license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions aren't personal information. The company says it doesn't surveil "private data" -- only cars and general descriptive markers.
But vehicle information can be considered personal because it's legally tied to the vehicle's owner. Privacy laws, including proposed federal legislation from 2026, prohibit the release of personal information from state motor vehicle records in order to protect citizens.
However, those laws typically include exemptions for legal actions and law enforcement, sometimes even for private security companies."
"It's important to note that not all cities or neighborhoods refer to Flock Safety by name, even when using its technology. They might mention the Drone as First Responder program, or ALPR cameras, without further details."
Lancaster Police Department Launches Drone as a First Responder Program to Strengthen Public Safety:
https://www.cityoflancasterca.org/Home/Components/News/News/10442/
"... a March announcement about police drones from the city of Lancaster, California, doesn't mention Flock at all, even though it was the company behind the drone program."
The Creepy Reality Behind the License Plate Cameras in Your Town -
Those cameras you keep seeing? They're run by Flock Safety, a private company that tracks more than just your car's plates:
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/the-creepy-reality-behind-the-license-plate-cameras-in-your-town
"Did you know that all those cameras you see on street corners in your neighborhood aren’t owned (and in some cases, aren’t monitored) by your local government or police department? Instead, the cameras are leased from and operated by Flock Safety, a private company."
“They have drones!” he said. “They have pan-tilt- zoom cameras that recognize people and zoom into their faces. You can even see what they're doing on their phone. Their ALPR cameras can recognize people. They do store pictures of people. I know this because
I've accessed the footage and found pictures of myself. I'm not a car or a license plate.”
