Last updated: July 10, 2026
Much of our best reporting starts with a reader who noticed something. If you have seen a new camera, spotted an item on a city council agenda, or obtained a contract or public record, we want to hear from you.
What we’re looking for
- Camera sightings — new, moved, or removed license plate readers
- City council and county agendas that mention ALPRs, Flock Safety, or surveillance contracts
- Contracts, audits, policies, and other documents
- Photos and video
- Results of public-records requests
How to send it
Send tips through our contact page. Include as much detail as you can: where, when, and what you saw or found, plus any files or links.
One special case: camera locations. The camera locations on our map come from OpenStreetMap volunteers, as curated by the volunteer-run DeFlock project — an independent open-source effort we support but do not run. If you’ve spotted a camera, please report it directly to the DeFlock project at deflock.me so the whole community benefits — then let us know through our contact page if you think there’s a story behind it.
The legal agreement
By submitting material to DeFlock The USA, you confirm and agree that:
- You own the material you are sending, or you have permission to share it.
- You are legally allowed to send it to us.
- You grant DeFlock The USA a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to review, reproduce, edit, and publish the material.
- Submitting material does not guarantee we will publish it or act on it.
- Submissions are not confidential unless we explicitly agree to confidentiality with you in advance. If you need confidentiality, ask first — through the contact page — before sending anything, and wait for our agreement.
A note on sensitive material
Do not send us anything you are not lawfully permitted to possess. We take source protection seriously and favor it to the fullest extent the law allows, but we comply with lawful legal process. If the sensitivity of what you have raises questions for you, contact us first and describe the situation in general terms before sending the material itself.