This directory exists to turn a visually compelling national cluster map into stable, searchable local reports. A cluster label changes when the map zoom changes, so copying the number from a red circle would produce inconsistent city claims. Our published reports instead use one fixed geographic rule.
1. Source dataset
Camera records come from OpenStreetMap surveillance tagging distributed by the open DeFlock/FlockHopper data pipeline. The source is community-maintained and licensed under the Open Database License. The pipeline reports fresh public data regularly; Flock Off retains the last verified dataset if a refresh is incomplete or unavailable.
2. Geographic reference
Metro names and representative coordinates come from U.S. Census Gazetteer Core Based Statistical Area records. Each report counts points within 25 straight-line miles of that representative coordinate. This is a reproducible metro-area measure—not a municipal-boundary count.
3. Which records count
Only U.S. point records present in the ALPR source dataset are counted. A record contributes to “Tagged Flock Safety” only when its public brand field explicitly says “Flock Safety.” Missing brands remain “Unspecified.” Other named manufacturers remain separate.
4. Publication threshold
A metro report becomes indexable when it has at least 50 documented records inside the standard radius. This prevents hundreds of near-empty pages and focuses the directory on areas where the dataset provides meaningful local evidence.
5. Rankings and density
Rank is based on the total documented ALPR count among currently published metro reports. Density divides the report total by the area of the 25-mile circle, then reports records per 100 square miles. Rankings can change after every verified data refresh.
6. Recent activity
“Records edited in 90 days” uses the OpenStreetMap record timestamp. It can reflect a new point, corrected metadata, a moved marker, or another community edit. It must not be interpreted as the number of cameras installed during that period.
7. Known limitations
- Community maps can miss active devices.
- Records can be stale, duplicated, or imprecise before contributors correct them.
- A map point does not establish who owns the camera or who can search its data.
- A fixed radius can cross city, county, and state boundaries.
- Counts describe documented devices, not scans, searches, alerts, contracts, or people.
Corrections should be made in the underlying OpenStreetMap/DeFlock workflow so the public source and every downstream user improve together. Flock Off refreshes after source updates; it does not publish a private competing location database.