Have you just started driving? Did you know you’re being watched and tracked? ALPR (Automated License Plate Readers) Cameras, or more specifically Flock Safety cameras, are gathering information about how drivers drive, what they drive, and where they’re going. These AI cameras on the sides of roads, in parks, and even pointed at swimming pools, are tools marketed as license plate readers to help local law enforcement catch criminals.
How it works: Flock, the private company, claims on their FAQ that they take 6-12 photos per car, every car. They also get your car’s make, model, color, resident or non resident registration, bumper stickers, type of plate, every bit of damage on your vehicle, and can also see the interior of your car.
A lot of people argue that Flock and ALPR cameras are against the 4th amendment. The 4th essentially protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. If police and other law enforcement are able to use AI to virtually search your vehicle, especially if they have the ability to see inside some cars, then it is definitely against the law, and is violating your rights as a citizen and as a driver.
This is reason enough to believe that Flock and ALPR should be banned in all 50 states. Not only do many believe that they should, but even Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri is launching an investigation on the company.
He is quoted saying, “As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, I am investigating Flock Safety’s… Your company boasts more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states and more than 20 billion vehicle scans every month. The overwhelming majority of the Americans captured in those records did nothing wrong. Instead of serving discrete local investigations, as contemplated by our constitutional processes and safeguards, these camera networks harness artificial intelligence to pool what they capture into a national database.”
However, he is not the only lawmaker to think this way. 153 cities have already turned away from Flock and not renewed their contract. When will Alton, Godfrey, and Florissant do the same?
There have already been cases of misuse and false arrests by the cameras. According to the Institute of Justice, a Flock camera misread a license plate, alerted police, and the couple was held at gun point while their 6 month old baby was still in the car. Flock claims they have 93% accuracy, and does over 20 billion license plate readings each month. This means that 7%, or 1.4 billion readings are still inaccurate.
According to the same source, another instance of a false arrest would be the man in San Diego who was pulled over for a carjacking that he was 5 miles away from at the time. Police relied on Flock’s vehicle tracking system that flagged a red Alfa Romeo. Police found a similar red Alfa Romeo and pulled it over, arresting the three people in the car. They were proven innocent after the driver already served a month in jail. Police have already had over 30 cases where they use the Flock cameras to track ex-wives and stalk women.
In our own area, St. Charles County Police axed Flock after an “egregious misuse” that they did not want to get into the details of, says Alex Barton of Fox 2 News.
Why should we go on with these constitution violating, AI stalking cameras on our streets? People need to make their voices heard, go to city council meetings, and take further measures if they do not end their contracts with each and all ALPR camera companies, especially Flock.
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