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 City of Norwich, 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. City of Norwich, New York.
Three hardware variants are deployed across the US. City of Norwich, New York.
1 Flock Safety ALPR camera have been reported in City of Norwich, New York by community members. 1 has been independently verified.
New York has no statewide ALPR retention statute. New York City operates one of the largest ALPR networks in the world, with data retained indefinitely. The New York Civil Liberties Union has documented extensive ALPR deployment and called for legislative reform.
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. 1 have been documented in City of Norwich 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.