Report and track Flock camera locations — a community driven resource
If you spotted a small rectangular camera mounted on a utility pole or street sign in Birmingham, it's almost certainly a Flock Safety ALPR license plate reader — not a traffic camera, not a security camera. Here's how to confirm it.
Six visual features that distinguish Flock Safety ALPR cameras from traffic cameras, security cameras, and other pole-mounted devices. Birmingham, Alabama.
Three hardware variants are deployed across the US. Birmingham, Alabama.
293 Flock Safety ALPR cameras have been reported in Birmingham, Alabama by community members. 293 have been independently verified.
Alabama has no statewide law restricting how long law enforcement agencies may retain ALPR data. Individual agencies set their own retention policies, which can range from 30 days to indefinite storage. Privacy advocates have called on the legislature to establish a maximum retention period and audit requirements.
It's almost certainly a Flock Safety ALPR (Automatic License Plate Reader). These devices photograph every passing vehicle's license plate, timestamp, and direction of travel. 293 have been documented in Birmingham by community members on this map.
Traffic cameras are typically larger, mounted at intersections on signal arms, and face the road horizontally. Flock Safety cameras are smaller (roughly 8×5 inches), mounted on utility poles or fence posts at 8–12 ft, and often have a visible IR LED ring and a small solar panel. They are not connected to traffic signals.
Cameras can be operated by local police departments, HOAs, private businesses, or neighborhood associations. Flock Safety sells directly to all of these groups. The operator is not always disclosed publicly, which is why community mapping efforts like this one exist.