Agenda Illustrated: Smile, You’re on Flock Camera

What Are Flock Cameras — And Why Are They Controversial?

Flock cameras are automated license plate readers that photograph vehicles traveling past fixed locations and use software to identify license plates and other vehicle characteristics. The information can then be searched by law enforcement as part of investigations.

That capability is also at the center of the growing debate surrounding the technology.

Unlike a traditional security camera that simply records activity at one location, automated license plate reader systems can create searchable records showing where and when a particular vehicle was observed. When information from cameras in multiple locations is available to law enforcement agencies, the technology can become a powerful investigative tool for tracking vehicles across a much larger area.

Supporters point to cases in which the cameras have helped police locate stolen vehicles, find missing or endangered people and identify vehicles connected to serious crimes. Lynchburg Police has cited those benefits in describing its own use of the city's 15 cameras.

Privacy advocates and some elected officials, however, question how much information should be collected about motorists who are not suspected of committing crimes, how long those records should be retained, which agencies should be permitted to search them and what safeguards are necessary to prevent misuse.

Accuracy is another issue. An automated system can incorrectly read a license plate or produce a potential match that ultimately involves the wrong vehicle. That makes verification by law enforcement an important part of using information generated by the technology.

The debate, therefore, extends beyond whether cameras should help police identify vehicles involved in crimes. It increasingly centers on a broader question: How much information about the movements of ordinary motorists should be collected and made searchable in the interest of public safety?

That question is now being considered across Central Virginia as Lynchburg, Campbell County and Appomattox County reconsider their relationships with Flock.