Plainfield Police Install Flock License plate Readers
The short version: A local news segment reposted on Flock's own channel touts Plainfield PD's new ALPR rollout without asking who's watching the watchers.
Our Take
Notice anything about this clip? It didn't come from a scrappy local reporter digging into a new surveillance contract — it's hosted on Flock Safety's own YouTube channel, repackaged from a WISH-IN segment. That's the playbook: let local news do the friendly explainer, then redistribute it as marketing. Plainfield PD gets to look proactive on "public safety," and Flock gets a free advertisement that reads like journalism.
What's missing, as usual, is the other side of the ledger: how long plate scans are retained, who else can query the database, whether ICE or other agencies get access through data-sharing networks, and what oversight — if any — the city council imposed before signing the check. These installs rarely come with public hearings or opt-out mechanisms for residents who'd rather not have every trip logged.
If you live in or drive through Plainfield, assume your plate is now part of a searchable record. Check our camera map to see what's already been documented nearby, and if you want to push back on unchecked ALPR expansion in your town, our take-action page has concrete steps.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Flock, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.