DeFlock Maps Tracks Flock Safety and Other License Plate Readers Nationwide

Automated license plate readers are facing intense public scrutiny as communities realize how thoroughly their daily travel can be logged. A crowdsourced mapping tool known as DeFlock Maps is pinpointing automated license plate readers, including devices manufactured by Flock Safety, across neighborhoods nationwide. Reported by the New York Times and powered by the open-source project OpenStreetMap, the mapping initiative relies entirely on volunteers rather than corporate or government disclosures.

According to the app’s website, Camera locations come from volunteers and the OpenStreetMap community, not a private company or government agency. The platform tracks multiple surveillance providers, including Motorola Solutions, Genetec, and other unnamed technology companies. However, devices built by Flock Safety make up more than 80 percent of the total equipment documented on the map.

What DeFlock Maps Tracks Across the United States

The scale of roadside tracking is vast. Flock Safety states that its nationwide network encompasses more than 120,000 cameras distributed across 49 states, giving agencies a broader view of vehicle movement and a deeper pool of investigative leads. Public estimates suggest that roughly 90,000 Flock-branded cameras may operate in the US.

DeFlock currently tracks 128,988 devices nationwide, with 82 percent marked as owned by Flock Safety, representing 105,770 pinned devices. Local community contributions show dense clusters in various regions. For instance, in Pitt County, North Carolina, community members have reported 1,682 cameras, with 87 percent identified as Flock devices, alongside smaller counts in surrounding towns like New Bern, Kinston, and Jacksonville.

DeFlock’s user guide warns that Mass surveillance infrastructure is expanding rapidly in our communities, often without public awareness or consent. The guide adds that the project aims to make the hardware visible so that communities can achieve transparency and accountability.

How Flock Cameras and Software Track Vehicles

Unlike traditional traffic enforcement gear, Flock Falcon cameras do not monitor vehicle speed. Instead, they capture between six and 12 still images every time a vehicle passes, using automated license plate recognition software and machine learning to analyze the data. Police departments, businesses, schools, and homeowners associations use the cameras, which convert every passing car into a searchable digital record.

That searchable record includes license plate numbers, vehicle make, model, color, body type, and direction of travel, as well as distinct characteristics like aftermarket wheels, bumper stickers, dents, and body damage. Trevor Horwitz, co-founder and chief information security officer of cybersecurity firm TrustNet, noted that the software extracts distinguishing features allowing investigators to look for a vehicle even if they don’t have a complete license plate number.

The roadside units transmit images and metadata over cellular networks directly to cloud-stored dashboards. Law enforcement agencies can configure the system to trigger immediate alerts whenever a camera detects a plate linked to a stolen vehicle, a missing person, or an active arrest warrant.

Integrating Networks and Raising Privacy Concerns

Beyond standalone Flock hardware, the software integrates with cameras from partner manufacturers like Motorola Solutions through platforms such as CommandCentral Aware. This API integration grants law enforcement access to data from multiple hardware networks simultaneously.

While individual camera hits capture only isolated moments, legal and technical experts warn that widespread networks create comprehensive tracking profiles. Catherine Crump, a clinical professor of technology law and director of the Samuelson Law, Technology, and Public Policy Clinic at UC Berkeley, explained that while a single plate hit reveals only a car’s location at a specific time, a connected network is different because over time it will become a comprehensive record of someone’s movements.

Public pushback against the rapid deployment of these systems has surfaced in various municipalities. In Saranac Lake, New York, residents protested last spring against unannounced camera installations, leading officials to reconsider and ultimately vote to cancel the village’s contract with Flock Safety.

DeFlock maintains that its application collects no personal user data, stating in its documentation that everything stays on your device except what you choose to upload to OpenStreetMap. Residents wishing to check the mapped presence of automated license plate readers in their local areas can consult community mapping resources directly at DeFlock.org.