How to tell whether a roadside camera is an ALPR reader

Clues on the pole

FlockDetour's field guide lists four checks.

• Check what else uses the pole. Some plate readers have their own slim pole; others share a signal, streetlight or building.
• Look for a solar panel above the housing. It suggests self-powered gear, but other vendors and camera types use panels too.
• Look for a cable running to the ground. Wiring can be hidden. No visible cable proves nothing.
• Check where the lens points. A camera aimed at plates in a lane is a clue, not proof.

A common Flock Safety reader has a dark housing on its own pole, with a solar panel above it. A Leonardo ELSAG reader, also an ALPR, can sit on an existing utility pole with visible wiring and a separate infrared illuminator. Both read plates. They look different.

Check the record

Select a camera on the FlockDetour map. Its record shows the source and that source's confidence level, along with direction and operator when known. Check the pin's type too: FlockDetour also maps speed and red-light cameras, with separate labels.

Check the operator

Many agencies that buy Flock publish a transparency portal, and FlockDetour's agency directory links to those portals. A city council agenda or contract can also name the vendor.

What nobody can tell you

Appearance can't establish the vendor, whether the device works, or whether it photographed your car. FlockDetour maps documented locations only. It cannot see footage or plate data.