MapQuest Shows Flock License Plate Reader Cameras Along Your Route

A new map layer

MapQuest says its app can show known license plate readers from several manufacturers. Its list includes Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo, Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, and Verkada.

The company announced the feature on BlueSky and directed users to enable the Surveillance Layer in Map Options. MapQuest also says the layer includes other outdoor surveillance cameras.

What readers collect

License plate readers photograph vehicles and use machine learning to convert details into searchable data. Those details can include a plate number, vehicle make, color, and model. The devices are commonly placed at intersections, parking lots, roads, highways, and neighborhood entrances. They are also found at businesses and on private property.

Safety and privacy concerns

Police agencies first adopted the readers to help locate vehicles and identify suspects. Retail businesses have also used Flock cameras for security. Critics warn that collected information may be misused or shared with federal immigration officials. Opposition has included protests, petitions, and the forcible removal of cameras.

Public debate over cameras

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said the cameras had helped police, but argued that the risk of misuse was too high. He said the city needed to protect public safety while preserving community trust, and that Tempe would take the cameras down.

Flock told Business Insider in August that its cameras are designed to focus on vehicles involved in incidents and details that distinguish them from other cars. MapQuest had also drawn attention in August after refusing to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, unlike Google.