License plate readers or surveillance? The number of AI cameras in the US is shocking

Cities are starting to reject the idea of having surveillance cameras that promise to curb crime, but there's a long way to go.

In fact, the largest surveillance company in the United States says it's under attack from activists who want to defund the police.

'Flock, and the law enforcement agencies we partner with, are under coordinated attack.'

Citizens can now view a comprehensive map of Automated License Plate Recognition cameras that are popping up in cities all along the coastline and the Great Lakes region.

As it stands, there are almost 100,000 of these cameras in place in the United States. According to DeFlock Maps, the exact number is just north of 97,000, with a vast majority of them (80,000+) coming from one company: Flock Safety.

This tech and surveillance company out of Atlanta has about 1,500 employees and has been steadily building its network that promises a decrease in crime in communities that implement its systems.

On its website, Flock cites that it is trusted by more than 5,000 law enforcement agencies, providing examples like a 56% reduction in year-over-year crime in one California city and a 52% reduction in robberies in Cobb County, Georgia.

These solar-powered, AI-backed cameras are meant to operate as part of a complex grid of connected devices that allow police agencies to tap into surveillance inside stores, parking lots, and city streets to identify suspects and the cars they are driving; all to allegedly solve crimes.

However, some cities have rejected the service on grounds of citizen privacy.

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Hyoung Chang/Denver Post

In addition to Bend, Oregon, where a comprehensive report about the surveillance capabilities appeared on CNet, Charlottesville and Staunton, Virginia, both ended their contracts with Flock and both received an email from the company that was described as "pouting."

"That email was sent to every client that they had, including us," Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis said. "I looked at it and just, honestly, chalked it up to an unprofessional email from a venting CEO. I just ignored it, I'll be honest," he told Cville Right Now.

Staunton Police Chief Jim Williams shared the email he received from Flock CEO Garrett Langley, which claimed the company was under "attack" from activists.

"Flock, and the law enforcement agencies we partner with, are under coordinated attack. The attacks aren't new. You've been dealing with this for forever, and we've been dealing with this since our founding," Langley wrote.

The CEO continued, saying the same activist groups "who want to defund the police, weaken public safety, and normalize lawlessness" were behind critical YouTube videos and misleading headlines.

The letter, dated December 8, 2025, received a response from Williams four days later, which read:

"As far as your assertion that we are current[y under attack, I do not believe that this is so. ... What we are seeing here is a group of local citizens who are raising concerns that we could be potentially surveilling private citizens, residents, and visitors and using the data for nefarious purposes."

Just a week later, Staunton announced it was terminating its contract with Flock.

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One of the organizations Langley may be referring to is the ACLU, which said last August that Flock was building a "dangerous nationwide mass-surveillance infrastructure."

However, the ACLU's main concern was that the resources were being used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement against illegal immigrants.

Still, Langley is consistently stating that voting Flock out of jurisdictions will hinder the prevention of gun crime. The CEO cited a Mississippi city that allegedly saw violent crime decrease by 79% and homicide by 90% in one year.

Langley wrote on X, "When the loudest voices tell you to vote Flock out of your community, ask yourself: are they also the ones outraged by gun violence when a shooting occurs, or in this case 12?"

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