Flock Camera
How to report a Flock camera
Add it to OpenStreetMap as a node tagged man_made=surveillance and surveillance:type=ALPR, with a direction value in degrees and the brand if you can read it. Every map built on the dataset — including this one — picks it up on the next refresh.
There is no company to report it to
People often look for an official reporting channel. There is not one, because there is no official register — see are camera locations public. The map exists because volunteers built it, and the way to report a camera is to add it yourself.
This takes about five minutes and requires no technical background.
Before you start: safety and legality
- Observe from public space. Do not enter private property, and do not climb anything.
- Do not stop in traffic. Park safely or note the location and come back on foot.
- Do not touch, obstruct or damage the equipment. Recording a publicly visible camera's location is documentation. Interfering with it is a crime, and it also has nothing to do with mapping.
What to record
| Field | OSM tag | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Position | node placement | Place the node at the pole, not at the kerb. |
| It is surveillance | man_made=surveillance | The base tag. |
| It is a plate reader | surveillance:type=ALPR | This is what separates it from a generic CCTV camera. |
| Which way it faces | direction= degrees | The single most valuable field. 0 = north, 90 = east. |
| Brand | manufacturer= | e.g. Flock Safety. Leave it off rather than guess. |
| Who runs it | operator= | Police department, retailer or HOA, if signposted. |
| How it is mounted | support= | e.g. pole, traffic_signals. |
| What it watches | surveillance:zone= | e.g. traffic, parking. |
| Date you saw it | check_date= | YYYY-MM-DD. Lets everyone judge how stale an entry is. |
Please record the direction
If you add one optional tag, make it direction. It is what
separates "there is a camera near here" from "that camera was looking at you".
About 95% of documented US cameras have it — 121,036 of 127,344 — and that high
coverage is the only reason view cones are possible at all. Stand behind the
camera, face the same way the lens does, and read the compass on your phone.
How to add it
- Create a free account at openstreetmap.org.
- Find the location and click Edit. The default iD editor works in the browser.
- Place a point at the pole.
- Search the feature type for "surveillance" and pick the camera preset.
- Switch to the tag list (the text-view toggle) and add the tags from the table above.
- Save with a short comment such as "ALPR camera surveyed on site".
The DeFlock project also provides a guided submission flow if you prefer not to use the OSM editor directly. Either route ends in the same database.
What happens next
Your edit is live in OpenStreetMap immediately. Downstream maps pick it up when they refresh their extracts — for this site and the app, that happens when the bundled database is rebuilt and shipped in an update.
Because the dataset is open under the ODbL, your one camera improves every tool built on it at once: this app, DeFlock, other map sites, and the researchers and journalists who use the same extract. That is a better return than reporting it into a private inbox.
Check whether it is already mapped
Before you add a camera, open the map and zoom to street level. If a view
cone already points down that lane, someone got there first — and you can add a
fresh check_date instead.
See it on your own street
Flock Camera maps every documented plate reader, shows which way each one faces, and warns you before you drive past one. Free, no account, and nothing leaves your phone.
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.
Related guides
Are Flock camera locations public?
Flock Safety does not publish camera locations, and most agencies are not required to. Here is what is actually public, and where the crowd-sourced map comes from.
Read the guide →What does a Flock camera look like?
A Flock Safety camera is a small dark rectangular box on a slim pole, about 4 metres up, with a solar panel and a black cylindrical lens facing one lane of traffic.
Read the guide →How to find the Flock cameras near you
Find the Flock Safety and ALPR cameras near you on a live map of 127,344 documented US plate readers — including which way each camera faces.
Read the guide →