Birmingham, Alabama

We're Flocked

The Truth About Mass Surveillance in Birmingham

Birmingham is spending millions on a surveillance network that tracks your every move—with zero public oversight and serious questions about privacy, security, and compliance with Alabama law.

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Nearly 1,500 Cameras. Zero Transparency.

While you were driving to work this morning, cameras recorded your license plate, your vehicle's make and model, the time, and your exact location. That data is now stored in a nationwide database—accessible to thousands of law enforcement agencies you've never heard of.

Birmingham has quietly built one of Alabama's most extensive surveillance networks. And you were never asked.

This isn't about catching criminals. It's about tracking everyone, all the time—just in case.

$9.7M

Approved for expansion

~1,500

Cameras in metro area

Zero

Published BPD policies

Unknown

Federal agency access

Why Should You Care?

It may be unconstitutional. Federal courts have ruled that dense ALPR networks can violate the Fourth Amendment. Norfolk, Virginia—with just 176 cameras—is facing a federal lawsuit. Birmingham's network is nearly nine times larger.

It's already been abused. A Kansas City police chief stalked his ex-girlfriend 228 times using Flock cameras. A Texas sheriff searched for a woman who had an abortion. An innocent family was held at gunpoint after a camera misread their plate. These aren't hypotheticals—they're documented cases.

It's not secure. Researchers found 51 security vulnerabilities in Flock cameras. Police login credentials are for sale on dark web forums. Your location data is processed by workers overseas. Congress has called for a federal investigation.

Nobody's watching the watchers. Birmingham has never published ALPR policies—despite Alabama law requiring them. No audit results. No transparency portal. No public input. No accountability.

Read the Full Investigation

Your Rights Are at Stake

Think about everywhere you drove last week:

  • Dropping your kids at school
  • Visiting a doctor's office
  • Attending your place of worship
  • Meeting a friend for coffee
  • Going to a political meeting
  • Stopping at a lawyer's office

Every trip was logged. Every location recorded. Every timestamp stored. Not because you did anything wrong—but because you might.

In a democracy, the government is supposed to answer to the people. Mass surveillance flips that relationship. When everyone is tracked "just in case," the presumption of innocence quietly disappears.

This isn't a partisan issue. Conservatives and progressives alike have raised alarms about unchecked government surveillance. It's not left vs. right—it's citizens vs. secrecy.

This is a Birmingham issue. Our city. Our tax dollars. Our rights. And right now, we have no say in how this system operates, who has access to our data, or what happens when it's abused.