"Flock camera" has become a generic term
People say "Flock camera" the way they say "hoover" or "biro" — the brand that dominated the category became the name for the whole category. It is accurate about 80% of the time, and misleading the other 20%.
The distinction matters because a map that only shows Flock-branded hardware misses roughly 28,000 US cameras that read your plate in exactly the same way.
The documented brand split
| Brand | US cameras | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flock Safety | 115,217 | 80.3% | Solar, pole-mounted, cellular. The category default. |
| Motorola Solutions | 7,494 | 5.2% | Owns Vigilant Solutions; long-standing police supplier. |
| Genetec | 3,593 | 2.5% | AutoVu line; common in parking enforcement and mobile units. |
| Axis Communications | 3,027 | 2.1% | General-purpose network cameras running ALPR software. |
| Leonardo / ELSAG | 1,268 | 0.9% | One of the oldest names in the sector. |
| Rekor | 866 | 0.6% | Software-first; often runs on other vendors' hardware. |
| Axon | 822 | 0.6% | Better known for body cameras; expanding into fixed ALPR. |
| PlateSmart | 757 | 0.5% | Software running on existing camera estates. |
| Ekin | 604 | 0.4% | Multi-function units combining ALPR with other sensing. |
| Ubicquia | 596 | 0.4% | Built into streetlight fittings. |
| Neology | 570 | 0.4% | Tolling and border crossings. |
| No brand recorded | 6,788 | 4.7% | Confirmed plate readers a volunteer could not identify. |
What this means in practice
They do not look alike
The Flock unit has a recognisable silhouette — slim pole, solar panel, small dark box. Others do not. A Ubicquia reader is inside a streetlight. An Axis unit may be an ordinary-looking network camera on an existing gantry. A Genetec mobile unit may be on the roof of a parking-enforcement car. If you are identifying cameras by the Flock silhouette alone, you will walk past the rest.
They share data differently
Each vendor runs its own platform with its own sharing model. Some agencies run several vendors at once. "Who can see this read" depends on which system it landed in — see who can access the data.
The function is identical
From your car's point of view there is no difference. Every one of these photographs your vehicle, reads the plate, records make and colour, and stores a timestamped record. Vendor choice is a procurement decision, not a privacy distinction.
Why this app maps all of them
Flock Camera maps the whole surveillance:type=ALPR category, not
just one manufacturer:
- Red pins — Flock Safety branded cameras.
- Amber pins — every other brand.
- Tap any pin for the recorded brand, operator, compass bearing and last verification date.
- Area Stats gives the brand breakdown for whatever region you are viewing — the same table as above, scoped to your town.
Alerts fire for every brand. A reader that is not made by Flock Safety records your plate just the same, so warning you only about one manufacturer would be a strange kind of half-answer.
Know before you pass one.
Flock Camera draws a view cone on every camera with a recorded bearing and warns you before you pass one. Free, with no account.
Scan with your iPhone
Last reviewed 2026-08-15. Camera data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Flock Camera is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Flock Safety, Inc.