Flock cameras in New York: what the map and NYPD records show

A New York-centered map is not a five-borough inventory

Our dated snapshot contains 1,165 records classified as ALPR: 106 attributed to Flock and 1,059 attributed to other vendors or without a vendor attribution. The snapshot was retrieved October 3, 2026 at 13:54 UTC. Its center is 40.7128, -74.0060, near City Hall, and its radius is 10 miles.

That geography matters. The circle crosses the Hudson into New Jersey and leaves parts of New York City's five boroughs outside its boundary. A record on the other side of the river contributes to this snapshot if it falls inside the circle. Calling the 106 entries NYC's Flock cameras would turn a regional map result into an unsupported municipal claim.

Start with the city map, zoom to the place you actually mean, and inspect the individual record. A borough, an intersection and the metropolitan area are different research questions. The current city page may change as source data is refreshed; the figures in this report remain the dated comparison point.

Open the New York city map and current summary · Explore the map around Lower Manhattan

Nearby entries already show why the vendor label matters

The snapshot's nearest sample records include source labels for Leonardo, Ekin x spotter, Mav (IQ:350XR), Redspeed Redcurb and an entry with no vendor recorded. These are labels supplied by the underlying records. They do not independently establish the installed equipment, its purpose or its owner. Even a source classification can need correction.

For a concrete example, a record near 40.7122, -74.0099 carries the Leonardo label. Another near 40.7119, -74.0044 has no vendor recorded. Neither example supports describing every nearby camera as Flock. An unfamiliar housing or a solar panel is also insufficient identification; compare documented model features and retain uncertainty when the evidence is weak.

Of the 1,165 records, 1,123 have a direction value, while none supplied a last-verification date in the returned snapshot. A direction field is source information, not a recent inspection. Missing verification dates do not prove the records are wrong, but they prevent us from calling this an October field survey.

Inspect the example record labeled Leonardo · Compare camera identification features

NYPD's published hardware policy and database access are separate evidence

NYPD's February 4, 2026 LPR policy names Leonardo Elsag readers and describes fixed and vehicle-mounted equipment. It also describes a national commercial plate-read repository; use requires an articulable reason to believe the queried vehicle has left NYC.

The policy does not provide a current Flock installation inventory. Owning readers and searching another system are separate capabilities. We have not established the present scope of any NYPD Flock database access from these primary records.

The policy gives NYPD-collected plate reads a five-year retention period, with investigative records addressed separately. That documented rule cannot establish retention for private or neighboring readers on the map.

Read NYPD's February 4, 2026 LPR policy · Check NYPD's POST Act policy index for later versions

Ask for records that distinguish ownership, deployment and access

A useful next step is a narrowly defined request for public program records. NYPD's official FOIL instructions direct online requests through NYC OpenRecords and ask requesters to identify records specifically. Naming an intersection, date range and requested document types makes the question more concrete than asking for everything about surveillance.

For NYC, request the inventory by manufacturer and model, distinguishing fixed, portable and vehicle-mounted equipment. Separately ask for current contracts, database subscriptions, sharing agreements and documents recording installation, deactivation or removal. An agency can have access to records without owning the roadside reader that produced them.

If the location is in New Jersey or on private property, first identify the responsible jurisdiction or operator. A request addressed to NYPD cannot establish every regional installation. Our records guide helps structure the request; publication of a policy does not guarantee release of every requested detail.

Please provide existing inventory, installation or deactivation records for ALPR equipment at [intersection] during [date range], including the recorded manufacturer, model and responsible agency. Separately, please provide current contracts or agreements for external plate-read database access.

NYPD's official records-request instructions · Build a focused ALPR records request

What this snapshot can support

We used FlockDetour's public production camera dataset, selected ALPR-class records, excluded records marked removed, deduplicated record IDs and counted entries within the stated circle. The snapshot did not report truncation. That means this retrieval did not signal a result cap; it does not establish complete real-world coverage or one physical device per record.

The retrieval timestamp is not an installation date, a last-seen date or proof that a camera is operating. Mobile readers, unpublished installations, incorrect labels and stale records remain possible gaps. Use the map to locate questions, the source record to inspect its claim, and dated agency material to establish the scope of a program.

Read the map's data sources and limitations · Why camera maps can disagree

Related guides

Flock cameras in Chicago: separate the map, the agency and the date · How to request your city's Flock audit logs · Why do Flock camera maps show different counts? · All guides · Live camera map · Get the app