Do Flock cameras use facial recognition?

What Flock says about its plate readers

Flock's current data-privacy page describes ALPR records as plate images, vehicle characteristics, timestamps and camera locations. It lists biometric and facial-recognition data among the information its ALPR system does not collect. This is the vendor's published description, checked October 3, 2026; we have not independently audited its software or every customer's configuration.

The product name matters. A question about a roadside plate reader is narrower than a question about every camera, software tool and investigation an agency uses. When sharing a claim, name the equipment or service the evidence describes. A statement about one product should not silently become a statement about an entire police department.

Flock's ALPR data-privacy statement · How Flock plate readers work

Plate recognition, person searches and face matching differ

NIST distinguishes finding a face in an image from comparing facial features to establish identity. A one-to-one comparison checks two images against the same claimed identity. A one-to-many search looks for possible matches within an image collection. Neither is the same question as whether a picture contains a person wearing a particular item.

This distinction helps you read a product page without treating every use of AI as facial recognition. Ask what goes into the search and what comes back. A plate, a description and a facial image are different inputs; a vehicle record, a descriptive match and a possible identity are different outputs.

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NIST's explanation of recognition and verification

Why video features need a separate answer

Flock's FreeForm FAQ says people searches use visible, nonbiometric attributes and do not use facial recognition or biometric person recognition. It limits people search and related alerts to enabled video cameras and feeds, rather than LPR cameras. That distinction is in the product documentation itself.

Flock also sells fixed and pan-tilt-zoom video cameras for live and recorded video. Its video-camera FAQ says video and LPR devices can share a pole. A photograph of one mounting location therefore is not a complete inventory of the equipment there. Check the model and each device, rather than assuming one visible unit describes the whole installation.

FreeForm people-search FAQ · Flock's video models and installation FAQ · Identify roadside camera hardware

Questions that produce a useful local answer

Start with a named operator, location and date. Look for the equipment contract, purchased software, operating policy and an up-to-date inventory. Keep those records separate: a contract can describe an authorized purchase without proving that every option is installed or enabled at a particular location.

For an agency inquiry, ask which video feeds and search features are enabled, whether facial-comparison software is used elsewhere in its workflow, and which policies cover exporting or sharing images. Request existing documentation supporting the answer. These are research questions, not claims that the agency performs any particular kind of search.

Record the scope of each response. An answer limited to LPR equipment leaves other systems unanswered. An unanswered question remains unknown; it does not establish either that a capability exists or that it is absent. If you publish your findings, include the response date and link to the actual document so another reader can check your interpretation.

Research agency policies and search audits · Find published agency portals

A location map does not reveal enabled software

FlockDetour maps documented camera locations. A pin can help you start local research, but it does not certify the software, permissions, field of view or capture history of that installation. Our public map does not connect to an operator's image database. Missing pins also cannot establish that a neighborhood has no cameras.

For a location search, begin with the city page and follow the available source information. For a capability question, continue to the operator's records. Keep those two findings separate when describing what you know. FlockDetour is independent of Flock Safety; this guide reports published product statements and offers a way to investigate their local scope.

Find your city · Washington, DC camera records · Miami camera records · Camera sources and limitations

Related guides

What are Flock cameras, and how do they work? · Can the public view Flock camera footage? · How to request your city's Flock audit logs · How to find Flock cameras near you · All guides · Live camera map · Get the app