Police Explain Flock Plate Readers

Police departments in Abilene, Texas, and Bluffton, South Carolina, are explaining their use of Flock Safety license plate readers to identify vehicles linked to crimes, recover stolen cars, and locate missing or wanted people.

The systems capture vehicle and plate information observed on public roads, while departments say access is restricted to legitimate investigations and subject to logging or review. The topic combines reported investigative benefits with continuing privacy, transparency, and misuse concerns around networked vehicle surveillance.