Flock camerasare becoming more common across Georgia, and now a website is giving drivers a way to see whether their license plate appears in publicly availableFlock search records.
The website Have I Been Flocked? allows users to enter their license plate information and search through released audit records showing when a Flock system user searched for a specific plate.
The site is built from public records released by government agencies and does not have access to Flock's private database.
Here's everything to know.
How to check your plate
To see if your plate appears in available records:
- Visit Have I Been Flocked?
- Enter your license plate information into the search tool.
- Review any available records connected to that plate, including search dates, agencies and reasons listed for the search when those details are available.
The website notes that a result means an operator searched the Flock database for that license plate, it does not mean the camera simply captured the vehicle driving by.
It also does
not show every time a vehicle passed a Flock camera.
What are Flock cameras?
Flock cameras are automated license plate readers (ALPRs) created by Atlanta-based technology company Flock Safety.
The cameras capture vehicle information such as license plates, vehicle type, color and other identifying features, then organize that information into a searchable system used by participating agencies and organizations.
Across Georgia, communities have adopted the technology as a tool for law enforcement investigations, with agencies saying the cameras can help locate stolen vehicles, identify vehicles connected to crimes and assist with investigations.
Why is the technology controversial?
Supporters say license plate readers give investigators another tool to solve crimes, while privacy advocates have raised concerns about how vehicle data is collected, stored and accessed.
Have I Been Flocked? says its database is incomplete because it relies on public records, and not every agency releases the same level of information. Some records may be redacted or unavailable depending on local transparency policies.
For Georgia drivers curious about whether their plate appears in released records, the website provides one way to look through publicly available information, but it is not a live tracker of where a vehicle has traveled.
Vanessa Johns is the Trending Topics Reporter for the Deep South Connect Team Georgia, covering food and entertainment. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: How Georgia drivers can check if Flock searched their plate
