Flock Cameras Explained: How License Plate Readers Track Cars

Flock cameras are automated license plate readers made by Flock Safety. When a vehicle passes, the camera captures an image and uses machine learning to turn the license plate, color, make, model, and other vehicle details into searchable information. The cameras are commonly installed along roads, at intersections, near neighborhood entrances, and around businesses or other private properties.

The key takeaway: these systems are designed to identify vehicles, not people’s faces, according to Flock. But the data they collect can still create a searchable record tied to where and when a vehicle was seen.

Law enforcement agencies say Flock’s technology can help track down vehicles and locate crime suspects. In some cases, officers can search for a specific car across tens of thousands of cameras nationwide. Flock says its customers include police departments, local governments, businesses, schools, homeowner associations, property operators, and other private organizations.

Flock operates as a subscription business and says it has deployed some 120,000 cameras across 49 states. The company also sells conventional video cameras, audio-detection technology, investigative software, and drones.

The technology has sparked backlash, with dozens of communities cancelling, pausing, or suspending contracts over privacy concerns, potential misuse, and data sharing with federal immigration officials. Critics say the cameras can collect information about ordinary drivers who are not suspected of crimes and can reveal patterns involving homes, businesses, medical facilities, religious institutions, or political events.

Business Insider reported concerns about misreads and lack of verification, including cases where innocent people were stopped at gunpoint or detained in jail. Flock says vehicle records are automatically deleted after 30 days by default, although customers may configure different retention periods when contracts and local laws permit.

Flock does not publish a complete public map of every camera in its network. One way to look for nearby automated license plate readers is DeFlock, an open-source, community-run mapping project cited in the article. Local government records may also clarify where public agencies purchased or operate cameras.

The ACLU says residents can search city council agendas, police department policies, contracts, purchasing records, and meeting minutes for terms such as “Flock Safety” or “automated license plate reader.” A typical Flock reader looks like a small rectangular box mounted near the top of a narrow roadside pole, sometimes paired with a small solar panel.