A Complete Guide to Flock Safety Cameras If you live in America, chances are you’ve driven past a Flock camera at some point over the past few years. Flock has become nearly ubiquitous thanks to its use by law enforcement, HOAs, and private property owners, with a footprint in over 5,000 communities across 49 states. Flock’s technology and hardware, including automated license plate recognition and gunfire locator systems, mostly flew under the radar since its inception in 2017. But in recent years, the company has seen increasing scrutiny, criticism, and litigation from private citizens, local governments, and civil liberties groups over concerns regarding their potential invasion of privacy and misuse. What are Flock cameras, and should you be concerned about their use in your community? What are Flock Cameras? Flock Safety, the company that builds and operates these cameras, says that they seek to deter crime, respond to emergencies, and investigate safety incidents. Its main products are automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, though they also offer traditional security cameras, mobile security trailers, drones, and security software. ALPRs capture identifying details of passing cars, including the license plate, make, model, color, and other visible characteristics. The cameras—which are located on public roads, in parking lots, and in front of private homes—use AI technology to analyze what it captures and upload that data to the company’s national surveillance platform. They do not use facial recognition technology, though images of pedestrians or bicyclists may be captured in the recordings. Flock is most notably used by law enforcement agencies, but the cameras are also heavily marketed to HOAs, schools, and retail businesses, which can then share their camera data to local police. This helps the company create an expansive surveillance network, with the stated goal of aiding criminal investigations. Flock says it captures