Flock & ALPR Cameras in Des Moines, Iowa
Volunteers have reported 7 automated license plate readers in and around Des Moines — cameras that log every passing plate with a time and location.
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No new reports near Des Moines in the last 30 days — checked hourly, last checked Oct 7, 12:29 UTC. Cameras only get on the map when someone looks: be the one.
Where the cameras are in Des Moines
The readers mapped around Des Moines break down as 6 Flock Safety. Named operators in the reports: The Home Depot. The first camera here was reported in Jun 2026; the most recent in Sep 2026.
- Hickman Road — 3 readers
- Garfield Avenue — 1 reader
- Harry Piper Parkway Trail — 1 reader
- East University Avenue — 1 reader
Des Moines IA PD and the sharing network
Per Flock’s own transparency portal, Des Moines IA PD appears in the sharing network with connections to 53 other agencies.
Des Moines in the Polk County picture
Polk County has 161 reported cameras county-wide and ranks #951 of 3,222 U.S. counties for cameras per resident. That’s across 497,441 residents and 2,286 road miles. By road density that is 0.07 cameras per road mile, in the top 8.3% of counties nationally.
Where contributors recorded what a camera watches, the split here is 6 traffic. Operators named on the record: The Home Depot (1).
Camera activity around Des Moines, last 30 days
2 newly reported in our hourly change log for Des Moines. Latest change logged Sep 2, 2026.
What’s watching Des Moines
These aren’t red-light cameras. Automated license plate readers like Flock Safety’s photograph every plate that passes, log the time and place, and store it in a searchable database that’s often shared far beyond Des Moines — here’s where that data goes. Counts cover cameras reported closest to Des Moines (within ~20 km), so nearby towns share the same corridors. Spot one that’s missing? Report it on DeFlock.
The latest around Des Moines
- National backlash against Flock cameras reflected in Iowa communities
- Flock cameras are spreading nationwide. What Iowa drivers should know
- 2 license plate readers reported removed near Des Moines, IA
- 2 new license plate readers reported around Des Moines, IA
What you can do in Des Moines
Ask who approved these cameras, how long plate data is kept, and who it’s shared with. File a public records request, raise it at a council meeting, and see the full playbook on Take Action. Fighting this locally? Join or start a chapter and we’ll amplify you.
Not sure what one looks like? See photographs of installed cameras before you go looking.
Cameras near Des Moines
← All Iowa cameras, counties & cities
Camera reports: the open-source DeFlock project. Place data: GeoNames (CC BY).