Flock & ALPR Cameras in Iowa City, Iowa
Volunteers have reported 17 automated license plate readers in and around Iowa City — cameras that log every passing plate with a time and location.
On the record · Contract Canceled
Iowa City is on the record here. Iowa City removed Flock license plate readers and terminated its contract with the surveillance company.
Need this city’s camera data? Custom extracts are free for researchers, journalists and advocates. Ask for it.
- Jun 25, 2026 On the agenda: Iowa City Board of Supervisors - Formal Meeting - Jun 25, 2026 — Facial Recognition (Jun 25)
- Jun 24, 2026 On the agenda: Iowa City Board of Supervisors - Work Session - Jun 24, 2026 — Facial Recognition (Jun 24)
- May 27, 2026 On the agenda: Iowa City Board of Supervisors - Work Session - May 27, 2026 — surveillance camera (May 27)
Every record for this area on the Docket → · nothing is ever deleted.
- Sep 13 Flock Safety camera newly reported
- Sep 9 Flock Safety camera newly reported
- Sep 9 Flock Safety camera newly reported
Newly reported by volunteers — cameras may have been up long before someone mapped them.
Where the cameras are in Iowa City
The readers mapped around Iowa City break down as 16 Flock Safety. Named operators in the reports: University of Iowa Police Department. The first camera here was reported in Feb 2025; the most recent in Sep 2026.
- North Dubuque Street — 3 readers
- Newton Road — 2 readers
- North Clinton Street — 2 readers
- South Riverside Drive — 2 readers
- West Iowa Avenue — 2 readers
- West Burlington Street — 2 readers
- Church Street — 1 reader
- South Clinton Street — 1 reader
- West Jefferson Street — 1 reader
Iowa City in the Johnson County picture
Johnson County has 53 reported cameras county-wide and ranks #907 of 3,222 U.S. counties for cameras per resident. That’s across 154,881 residents and 1,576 road miles. By road density that is 0.03 cameras per road mile, in the top 18.8% of counties nationally.
Where contributors recorded what a camera watches, the split here is 14 traffic. Operators named on the record: University of Iowa Police Department (7).
Camera activity around Iowa City, last 30 days
4 newly reported, 8 removed in our hourly change log for Iowa City. Latest change logged Sep 9, 2026.
What’s watching Iowa City
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 Iowa City — here’s where that data goes. Counts cover cameras reported closest to Iowa City (within ~20 km), so nearby towns share the same corridors. Spot one that’s missing? Report it on DeFlock.
The latest around Iowa City
- 2 new license plate readers reported around Iowa City, IA
- 7 license plate readers reported removed near Iowa City, IA
- Another Iowa City Deactivates Flock License Plate Cameras
- Iowa City woman charged for allegedly destroying UIPD Flock camera
What you can do in Iowa City
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 Iowa City
← All Iowa cameras, counties & cities
Camera reports: the open-source DeFlock project. Place data: GeoNames (CC BY).