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Artificial Intelligence in Law Enforcement
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ANPR and Licence Plate Recognition

Automatic number plate recognition is the most widely deployed police AI system in the UK, reading tens of millions of plates each day against national databases. Coverage here follows network expansion, retention periods, access controls, and the growth of equivalent commercial systems such as Flock Safety in the United States.

Read the full guide: ANPR and Licence Plate Recognition

Latest coverage

Flock tightens privacy controls amid scandals over officer abuse

Flock Safety will require all of its customers to adopt an "Audit Assistance" feature to track abnormal uses. The company says it will also hold licence plate data for only seven…

The Record·13 Aug 2026
Surprise, surprise: CBP officers are misusing surveillance tech

US Customs and Border Protection officers have misused surveillance databases to spy on family members, pursue dates and pass intelligence to drug traffickers. Freedom of…

Engadget·13 Aug 2026
Metro Detroit Flock camera vandalism continues; surveillance complaints persist

Licence plate readers such as Flock cameras are being targeted for vandalism around Metro Detroit. The devices use artificial intelligence to snap photos of all passing vehicles.…

Bing News·12 Aug 2026
70% error rate: Are police AI cameras flagging wrong drivers?

Flock AI surveillance cameras misread licence plates more than 70 per cent of the time, according to a new study. The errors lead to false police alerts involving innocent drivers.

Bing News·11 Aug 2026
First Came the Flock Cameras. Now Local Cops Want Autonomous Drones.

Local police are pushing to use autonomous drones. The move comes amid viral resistance to mass surveillance from licence plate-reading cameras. Residents across the country are…

Bing News·10 Aug 2026
Traffic violators face tighter checks as Mysuru plans 400 AI cameras

Mysuru Police is set to install 400 AI-enabled cameras across state and national highways in the district. The ₹5 crore project will track traffic violations and read number…

Bing News·5 Aug 2026
Think Of The Children! Flock Uses Emotional Blackmail To Sell Mass Surveillance

Flock Safety is using emotional stories about automatic licence plate readers helping to rescue children to promote its technology. This comes as concerns grow about the dangers…

Bing News·4 Aug 2026
‘DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE’: How Cops Are Trying to Hide Their Use of Flock

Police in Wapello County, Iowa, have instructed officers to hide their use of automated licence plate readers from vehicle occupants and in official reports. Public records show…

404 Media·4 Aug 2026
Indonesia's ETLE System Adds Facial Recognition to Track Traffic Offenders

Indonesia's Traffic Corps has introduced facial recognition technology to its ETLE cameras. It will use the technology to identify traffic violators with fake or missing licence…

Bing News·4 Aug 2026
Flock’s AI Cameras May Have Misread Over 70% of License Plates, Creating New Headaches for Cities

The police department of Roseville, California, has found that AI surveillance cameras misread licence plate numbers in 71 per cent of cases. An analysis of nearly 1,500 reports…

Bing News·3 Aug 2026
‘Own the Narrative’: Leaked Flock Guide Shows How It Teaches Cops to Promote Its Tech

Flock Safety has made a coordinated effort to get police agencies to lobby political leaders, according to a document. The technology firm wants law enforcement to persuade…

404 Media·3 Aug 2026
Kansas lawsuit challenges Wichita Police license plate cameras as unconstitutional

A legal challenge has been filed alleging that Wichita's use of artificial intelligence-powered licence plate readers violates the Kansas Constitution. The lawsuit characterises…

Bing News·1 Aug 2026
Flock surveillance cameras can pose a crash risk for drivers, US experts say

Roadside safety advocates state that some automated licence plate readers may fail to meet highway safety standards. Flock Safety cameras have been heavily criticised for years…

The Guardian Technology·30 Jul 2026
18 Flock AI surveillance cameras defunded by Town of Taos Council

The Town of Taos Council has voted to remove $54,000 from the local police budget, ending a contract for 18 AI surveillance cameras. Operated by technology firm Flock Safety, the…

Bing News·28 Jul 2026
North Carolina authorizes AI-powered license plate reader cameras on all state roads and highways
powered license plate reader cameras on all state roads and highways·28 Jul 2026
AI surveillance in Hawaii prompts ‘Big Brother’ concerns

Honolulu Police Chief David Lazar plans to expand automated licence plate readers across Oahu. The technology will feed into a real-time crime centre scheduled to begin in August…

Bing News·27 Jul 2026
Haveri introduces AI-based traffic monitoring system

Haveri Police in Karnataka have implemented an Integrated Traffic Management System using Artificial Intelligence and Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology to detect…

based traffic monitoring system·24 Jul 2026
Backlash grows in Reno area as AI license plate reader and surveillance camera numbers increase

Reno is expanding its use of Flock Safety licence plate readers, with critics warning of associated privacy risks. Meanwhile, nearby Sparks is switching away from Flock to Axon.

Bing News·24 Jul 2026
Mexican president unveils AI-powered robocop and robodog as part of security plan

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Mexico state Governor Delfina Gómez have unveiled two artificial intelligence-powered police robots, named CeCi and K7, to support law…

powered robocop and robodog as part of security plan·22 Jul 2026
Another Citizen Surveillance Tech Company Is Giving Flock A Run For It's Money

Technology company Axon is deploying the "Axon Lightpole", an artificial intelligence surveillance system that installs licence plate-reading cameras into existing streetlight…

Bing News·22 Jul 2026
Axon Says AI Police Reports Save Time. Public Records Show They Get Facts Wrong

Police officers in Lafayette, Indiana, spent seven months testing an artificial intelligence tool called Form One, developed by Axon to automatically generate administrative…

Bing News·22 Jul 2026
The ACLU Is Arming Lawyers to Expose State Surveillance Secrets

The ACLU of Massachusetts has launched a legal toolkit designed to help defence lawyers expose covert police surveillance technologies used in criminal cases. Distributed through…

Bing News·19 Jul 2026
Victory! Flock Ends Rollout of Audio “Distress Detection” of Human Voices

Surveillance technology vendor Flock Safety has announced that it will end a pilot using acoustic gunshot detection devices to identify signs of human distress. The company…

EFF Deeplinks·17 Jul 2026
Inside the big business of selling AI to the police.

Tech companies at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Technology Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, promoted a wide array of artificial intelligence tools to automate…

Bing News·16 Jul 2026
COMPUTER COPS: Inside the big business of selling AI to the police

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Technology Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, technology companies marketed a wide range of artificial intelligence tools…

Bing News·16 Jul 2026

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