Driving from Savannah’s airport along US 80 to the end of Tybee Island, a vehicle will pass at least 18 Flock Safety license plate readers. Visiting downtown Savannah from Rincon along GA 21 means passing at least six Flock Safety cameras. Strolling through Forsyth Farmer’s Market means pedestrians are tracked by the rotating camera atop a telephone pole near the famous fountain.
The constellation of more than 500 surveillance cameras is part of a network of Flock cameras operated by 18 law enforcement agencies across the seven counties of Coastal Georgia, according to an investigation by The Current GA.
The Georgia-based company, is one of the most popular makers of automatic license plate readers, so-called ALPRs, and is synonymous with the growing scrutiny and worry among voters and politicians about the powerful nature of surveillance and potential for abuse. These tools can scan and store license plates, the make and model of cars, and track people. The information is kept in a database operated by Flock accessible by the law enforcement agency that runs the camera as well as thousands of other Flock clients…