MARYLAND (WBFF) — Law enforcement agencies across Maryland recorded more than 1.1 billion license plate reads last year through a growing network of automated “Flock” cameras that can help police find stolen cars and wanted suspects — but can also create detailed records of where motorists travel.
The number of automated license plate readers operated by Maryland law enforcement agencies has nearly doubled in five years, a Baltimore Sun analysis of state reports found, reaching 1,077 cameras in 2025.
Together, they recorded an average of more than 3 million license plate reads every day. The 1.1 billion figure does not represent individual vehicles: The same car can be photographed repeatedly as it passes cameras across the state, creating a record of where and when it was seen.
The expansion is prompting new scrutiny in Annapolis over whether state safeguards have kept pace with increasingly sophisticated systems that allow police to search and share enormous quantities of vehicle data. Sen. Charles Sydnor, a Baltimore County Democrat who has sponsored digital privacy legislation, said Monday that his office has begun gathering information to determine whether additional legislation is needed.
Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun.
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