Flock & ALPR Cameras in Rhode Island
At least 313 automated license plate readers have been reported across Rhode Island — the 41st most-surveilled state in the country by camera count.
Updated Oct 6, 2026 · Live data
313 automated license plate readers have been reported in Rhode Island as of October 6, 2026, ranking it #41 of 52 states and territories. They are documented in 37 cities and towns across 5 counties. 92 percent are Flock Safety cameras.
27 cameras were added to the Rhode Island map in the last 30 days and 7 were removed. The most recent camera was reported on September 9, 2026. Providence (64) has the most, followed by Cranston (36) and Pawtucket (25).
12 operators are named in the records, including Cranston Police Department, Warwick Police Department, Lowe's. Source: community-mapped camera data (OpenStreetMap, ODbL) with DeFlock The USA’s permanent history.
Need this state’s camera data for your work?
We provide free custom extracts of everything we track: camera locations, brands, operators, dates, agencies, council agendas, and news coverage, for researchers, journalists, students, and advocates. Tell us the geography, time window, and format you need, and we’ll pull it for you. No charge, no strings.
Every one of those 313 cameras photographs the plate of each car that passes it — logging where Rhode Island drivers go, when, and how often, whether or not anyone is suspected of a crime. Here’s what that means, and what you can do about it.
- Aug 17, 2026 On the agenda: North Kingstown Town Council - Aug 17, 2026 — Flock Camera (Aug 17)
- Oct 30, 2023 On the agenda: North Kingstown Town Council - Oct 30, 2023 — License Plate Recognition (Oct 30)
- Oct 16, 2023 On the agenda: North Kingstown Town Council - Oct 16, 2023 — License Plate Recognition (Oct 16)
Every record for this area on the Docket → · nothing is ever deleted.
- Sep 25 Motorola Solutions camera newly reported
- Sep 25 Motorola Solutions camera newly reported
- Sep 25 Motorola Solutions camera newly reported
- Sep 25 Motorola Solutions camera newly reported
Newly reported by volunteers — cameras may have been up long before someone mapped them.
What these cameras actually do
Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) like those sold by Flock Safety aren’t normal traffic cameras. Each one reads every passing plate, stamps it with a time and location, and stores it in a searchable database — often shared across agencies. Across Rhode Island, that’s 313 points quietly building a record of residents’ movements. See how the tech works and where your data goes.
How Rhode Island compares
Rhode Island ranks #41 of 52 states and territories by reported ALPR cameras — part of a fast-growing national footprint. Nationwide, volunteers have mapped over 142,000 cameras and counting. Nearby by camera count: Delaware (466), North Dakota (448), West Virginia (253), Puerto Rico (212).
The latest from Rhode Island
- Rhode Island State Police to install 39 plate readers statewide under Flock contract
- Rhode Island AG candidate Kim Ahern on reproductive rights, gun violence and Flock cameras
- I Want Flock Cameras Gone, and I’m Running for Congress in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island vineyards brace for booming spotted lanternfly population
- Rhode Island bought the Flock cameras. It forgot to write the rules.
On camera in Rhode Island — each opens right here on DeFlock:
The conversation about Rhode Island:
The Crows Nest Report@crowsnestMastodonToday's brief · 22 stories: • Flock Safety plans to expand into camera-equipped aerial surveillance drones. • Rhode Island State Police deactivated three Flock license-plate cameras on state roads. • British Transport Police scanned 500,000 faces in a…7 days ago
@TheStoryShorey@thestoryshorey.bsky.socialBlueskyAnother Rhode Island town ditches license plate-reading cameras. thelocalinsidernews.com/foster-counc...3 weeks ago
Kenny Uong@kennyuong.bsky.socialBlueskyA Lieutenant Governor ready to tackle the energy crisis and lead Rhode Island towards a sustainable climate future! ⚡️ 🌱 Sue also supports a statewide ban on Flock Safety cameras! 🚫📸 bsky.app/profile/stev...1 month ago
New York News@newyorktopnews.bsky.socialBluesky#RhodeIsland #Gov. Dan #McKee is seeking to pause #Flock cameras, which use automated license-plate recognition to track vehicles, amid concerns over #privacy, #surveillance & how the technology can be misused. www.foxnews.com/video/640377...2 months ago
Fox News@[email protected]MastodonRhode Island governor seeks PAUSE on Flock safety camera use https://www.foxnews.com/video/6403773372112?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Latest Videos @latest-videos-FoxNews2 months ago
dc2daylight.bsky.social@dc2daylight.bsky.socialBlueskyrhodeislandcurrent.com/2026/08/18/a...2 months agoAll surveillance news → · All video & feeds →
What you can do in Rhode Island
You don’t have to accept it — and you don’t have to be anti-safety to demand accountability. File a public records request to learn your town’s retention and data-sharing policy, speak up at a city-council meeting, and see the full playbook on our Take Action page.
Not sure what one looks like? See photographs of installed cameras before you go looking.
No local chapter in Rhode Island yet — be the first, and we’ll list you.
Flock & ALPR cameras by city in Rhode Island
We track 36 Rhode Island cities and towns with reported cameras — each with its own local report: