Atlas of Surveillance vs Flock camera maps: agency or street level
The Atlas of Surveillance, an Electronic Frontier Foundation project, records which police agencies use technologies such as license plate readers. Flock camera maps like DeFlock and FlockDetour pin individual cameras on roads. Use the Atlas to ask what your department has; use a map to see what is on your street.
Agency-level research and street-level maps answer different questions
The Atlas describes itself as a database of surveillance technologies used by law enforcement, compiled by students and volunteers and searchable by city, county, state or agency. It covers drones, body cameras, facial recognition and plate readers.
Camera maps are location-level. Flock Camera Locations makes the same split in its own comparison of these tools. No map lists every camera, and none of these tools can promise a route that avoids all of them. Mobile and unmapped readers never show up on any of them.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Question | Better tool |
|---|---|
| Which agency in my county uses plate readers? | Atlas of Surveillance |
| Is there a camera on my commute? | DeFlock or FlockDetour map |
| What is the history of local contracts? | FlockDetour city and agency pages, then the agency's records |
| Can I route around mapped cameras? | FlockDetour or FlockHopper |
Take it on the road
Free camera maps on iPhone and Android. Pro adds turn-by-turn navigation and camera-aware route modes.
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google PlayQuestions people ask
What is the Atlas of Surveillance?
Does it show Flock camera locations?
Is it up to date?
Who runs it?
How do I check my own city?
Related guides
Flock camera apps and maps compared: DeFlock, FlockHopper and more · FlockDetour vs DeFlock: choose by what you need to do · DeFlock alternatives for finding and avoiding Flock cameras · All guides · Live camera map · Get the app
Sources
- Atlas of Surveillance: an Electronic Frontier Foundation project; database of police tech by agency compiled by students and volunteers; checked October 24, 2026
- Flock Camera Locations: maps compared: the site's own comparison of DeFlock, FlockHopper, Eyes on Flock and the Atlas of Surveillance; checked October 24, 2026
- DeFlock: home page: open-source mapping project; 143,926 LPRs mapped and 273 cities rejecting LPRs on the page; checked October 24, 2026
- FlockDetour: data sources: where camera records come from
FlockDetour is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Flock Safety or any surveillance vendor.