BOSTON, MA – Small black cameras mounted around Massachusetts are photographing passing cars and recording details such as license plates, vehicle color and roof racks. Police can then search those images in seconds, even if the request comes from far outside the state.
The devices are automatic license plate readers, commonly called Flock cameras after Flock Safety, the Atlanta-based company that makes them. Other manufacturers, including Motorola and Axon, also sell similar systems.
What has changed in recent years is the scale. Law enforcement agencies and private businesses have increasingly adopted the technology because the images can be stored in a searchable database and connected to AI tools.
How the cameras identify vehicles and store the data
Flock cameras are designed to do more than simply take pictures. They capture a vehicle’s plate number and visible features that can help distinguish one car from another, including its color and whether it has a roof rack.
That information is then uploaded into a system that officers can query quickly. Instead of reviewing footage one camera at a time, police can run a search across records collected by a wider network.
The Boston Globe described the system as a visual breakdown of how the cameras work, showing the technology as a combination of roadside hardware, automated image capture and a searchable data platform. That combination is what makes the devices so useful to police departments looking for fast matches.
License plate readers have expanded quickly in Massachusetts
The number of license plate readers in Massachusetts has grown sharply. According to crowd-sourced reports compiled by Deflock.org, there were 17 readers at the beginning of 2025 and more than 1,200 by Sept. 24, 2026.
That jump reflects how quickly the cameras have become part of local policing and commercial security. The technology itself is not new; license plate readers have existed for more than a decade.
What is driving the latest expansion is the integration of AI and a nationwide database that makes the systems easier to search and more useful across jurisdictional lines. Police can now pull information from a much broader network than they could when the devices were first introduced.
Police say the networks help find missing people and stolen vehicles
Law enforcement officials argue that the cameras can solve urgent cases faster. Police say the networks help them locate missing people and identify vehicles tied to crimes in a matter of seconds.
Officials have also pointed to the technology’s role in the search for the Brown University shooter last year, saying the cameras were instrumental in helping investigators track the case. For police departments, that kind of result is a major argument in favor of expanding the systems.
Supporters say the benefit is speed. A match that once might have taken hours of manual searching can now be found almost immediately if the vehicle has passed a camera in the network.
Privacy advocates warn of mass surveillance
Advocacy groups, including the ACLU, say the same systems create a sweeping surveillance network. Their concern is that the cameras can track people who have not been accused of any crime, and do so without a warrant.
Critics also argue that the technology operates with little oversight. Because the cameras are widespread and the data is searchable, they say the system can reveal patterns about where people travel and when they pass certain places.
The debate in Massachusetts has sharpened as the network has grown. The ACLU says 38 communities have moved to limit their use of the cameras since last fall, even as many others continue to contract with Flock.
More than 100 Massachusetts communities have contracts with Flock
A Boston Globe tally found that more than 100 communities in Massachusetts have contracted with Flock. That makes the company one of the most visible players in the state’s growing license plate reader market.
The company is based in Atlanta, but its cameras are now embedded in local public-safety systems across Massachusetts. The spread of the technology has created a patchwork of policies, with some communities embracing the cameras and others trying to restrict them.
The Globe’s explanation highlights that the technology is now part of a broader national shift in policing and retail security. Home Depot and Lowe’s are among the private companies that have also adopted license plate reader systems, showing that the market extends beyond law enforcement.
Why the system matters to residents and local governments
The rise of plate readers leaves local governments with a difficult balance. Supporters view them as practical tools that can speed up investigations and recover people or vehicles faster.
Opponents see a system that collects information on everyday drivers and stores it in a way that can be searched almost instantly. For residents, that raises questions about how much data is being captured, who can access it and how long it is kept.
As the number of cameras has climbed, those questions have become more pressing. The Globe’s breakdown shows that the debate is no longer only about one company or one police department, but about how far automated surveillance should reach in daily life.
