Edison Expands License Plate Reader Network as Flock Cameras Face Scrutiny
The short version: Edison, NJ is adding more Flock ALPR cameras even as New Jersey communities raise alarms about cost, accountability, and surveillance creep.
Our Take
Credit to Jessica Reyes for putting a spotlight on Edison's expanding Flock network at a moment when more New Jersey residents are starting to ask hard questions. It's a pattern we see over and over: a town quietly approves a few cameras for 'stolen cars,' and a year later the network has quadrupled with little public debate about who's watching the data, how long it's kept, or which agencies get access to it.
The 'scrutiny' framing in this story matters. Once these systems are in place, reversing course is hard — budgets get built around them, vendors lobby to renew contracts, and police departments start treating blanket vehicle tracking as a baseline expectation rather than an exceptional tool. New Jersey residents deserve to see exactly where these cameras are going up before the next town over wakes up to a fait accompli.
If you live near Edison or anywhere else in the Garden State, check our camera map to see what's already been documented nearby, and head to our take-action page if you want to push back on expansion in your own town before it becomes permanent infrastructure.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Jessica Reyes, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.