You may have noticed a tall pole with what looks like a solar panel while driving. Spoiler alert: it’s not a solar panel. It’s a Flock camera. What the flock is it doing there?

Flock cameras have become a growing trend nationwide, with more than 120,000 in use, according to Washington Post reporter Aiofe Walsh. Their growing presence has stirred up controversy surrounding surveillance and public privacy.

Flock Safety, the privately owned company behind the cameras, was co-founded in 2017 by Georgia Tech alumni Garrett Langley, Paige Todd, and Matt Fuery. The Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business notes that the company was built around a simple goal: to make “neighborhoods safer through affordable license plate recognition.” Langley, who first came up with the idea, developed it after his neighborhood experienced a number of car break-ins. Since security cameras were expensive, Langley used his engineering background to build his own.

The idea eventually grew into Flock cameras, also known as Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs). These security devices capture license plate numbers and vehicle details, including make, color, time, and location, to assist with investigations. The cameras can detect vehicles up to 75 feet away, are solar powered, and use LTE cellular networks to send captured data. Flock cameras are available to homeowner associations (HOAs), law enforcement agencies, schools, cities, and other private entities, but are not available for individual purchase.

Flock cameras may be a growing presence nationwide, but they aren’t new to Dearborn. The Dearborn City Council first approved their implementation on Nov. 14, 2023. The meeting minutes, available on the City of Dearborn’s website, show the council unanimously approved the purchase of 40 Flock cameras. On Sept. 10, 2024, the council approved another purchase of 70 cameras in a 6-0 vote. By the end of 2024, Dearborn police had already used one of the license plate reader cameras to detect a stolen vehicle. An end-of-year city review explains that when a Flock camera identifies a “wanted vehicle,” an alert is sent to Dearborn officers.

Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin further described the technology’s role in law enforcement, stating, “We are fortunate to utilize an array of advanced technology, including license plate cameras and drones, to assist in our daily efforts to locate suspects and bring them to justice.” Since their initial installation, the city has expanded Flock cameras throughout Dearborn to more than 100.

Data from Flock Safety’s 2025 Impact Census, which included nearly 700 law enforcement agencies, show that the technology supported more than 1 million investigations, assisted in solving 20% of cleared cases, and helped locate more than 10,000 missing people. A more recent local case, documented by WXYZ reporters Faraz Javed and Rob Oldani, involved a Melvindale senior who was scammed out of $6,000. Flock cameras helped police identify the suspect’s vehicle, giving them a lead that eventually led to the suspect’s arrest three days later.

While Flock cameras continue to assist with criminal cases, their growing presence has sparked controversy over the fine line between security and privacy, and the potential for misuse.

CNN reporter Mark Morales reported that a Kentucky police officer was recently arrested after using a Flock camera to “track his ex-girlfriend over 2,000 times.” This incident also raises questions about who can access Flock data and whether agencies such as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could use it.

Researchers at the University of Washington Center for Human Rights examined 31 Washington law enforcement agencies known to use Flock cameras, and reviewed patterns of use in other states. Their research found that at least eight Washington law enforcement agencies appeared “to have enabled 1:1 sharing of their Flock Network with Border Patrol at some point during 2025.” The researchers also found that Border Patrol also had “back door” access to license plate data collected by ALPRs operated by at least ten local law enforcement agencies.

Flock Safety, however, explicitly states on its website that it does not work with ICE. The company reassures customers that they own and control all data collected by Flock license plate readers. As humanitarian and privacy concerns over sharing ALPR data continue, some states have begun taking steps to regulate the technology. In 2026, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Substitute Senate Bill No. 397, also known as Public Act No. 26-14, which establishes regulations for the use of automated license plate readers.

The Flock camera debate has also made its way into Michigan politics. As reported by Lauren Gibbons for Bridge Michigan, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson said, “Michiganders deserve to know when the government is collecting information about them, where that information goes, and who has access to it.”

Republican gubernatorial candidate John James said, “Our Bill of Rights, our Fourth Amendment, our right to privacy is non-negotiable, but we also need to make sure that we are working within the Constitution to keep innocent people safe and put bad actors away.”

Those questions about security and privacy don’t stop at the government level. Flock cameras are also appearing on college campuses. Grand Valley State University recently drew public attention after one of its cameras was damaged. In a report for WOOD TV, reporter Rachel Gilder noted that the GVSU Police Department described the incident as the camera being “vandalized which resulted in it falling down and catching fire in a ditch.”

The incident also brings the conversation closer to home, raising questions about what the growing use of Flock cameras could mean for other colleges, including Henry Ford College. Currently, no Flock cameras are located on HFC’s campus. When HFC President David Knezek was asked whether the college would ever consider using Flock cameras on campus, he explained that “Right now this is not anything that we’re considering here at Henry Ford.” Despite the college’s current stance, Knezek emphasized the importance of students taking an active interest in newer technologies, describing it as a “powerful thing” for students to ask questions and get involved.

A survey was conducted at HFC asking students about Flock cameras. The responses show mixed opinions, with students expressing different views on technology. Some students felt that implementing Flock cameras would “add a layer of extra protection to all of HFC students.” Others would “strongly reconsider [their] enrollment at a campus that uses Flock systems.”

For now, HFC remains Flock-camera-free. But as the technology spreads across cities, police departments, and college campuses, questions about security and privacy continue to follow.

So if you see a tall pole with what looks like a solar panel, it may be worth asking: What the flock is it doing there?