Eyewitness News Extra: Automated License Plate Readers
The short version: A local TV segment on Flock Safety ALPRs is a reminder that these cameras are spreading into communities with little public debate.
Our Take
Credit to Sam Smink and the WFSB 3 team for putting Flock Safety's camera network in front of a local news audience. Most people have no idea these license plate readers exist on their street until a reporter points a camera at them, let alone that the data they generate can be queried by other agencies far outside the town that installed them.
That's the real story buried under every one of these local news segments: a city council approves a "public safety" vendor contract, the cameras go up on utility poles, and suddenly every car that passes is logged, timestamped, and stored. No warrant, no notice, no real public debate about retention periods or who else gets access. Local news segments like this one are useful because they put a face and a name on a system that otherwise operates in total silence.
If this story made you wonder whether Flock is already watching your own neighborhood, check our camera map to see what's been documented near you, and visit take action for ways to push back at your next council meeting.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WFSB 3, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.