Suffolk County Increases Flock Safety Cameras

Police in Long Island have quietly expanded the number of Flock Safety cameras, which monitor and record vehicles, more than doubling their presence in Suffolk County over the past year. Notably, many of these new installations are now focused on the Hamptons.

Officials from the county indicate that since August 2025, over 30 new AI-driven cameras have been positioned along the roads of Suffolk, with several additional units on the way. This surge brings the total from just 25 last year to approximately 60 today. The increase represents a remarkable 140% rise in this contentious surveillance technology since last fall, and there’s talk of further expansions in the pipeline.

Suffolk already has hundreds more Flock Safety cameras in place through separate agreements with municipalities and private communities, many of which share their data with local authorities via Flock’s extensive network.

Besides these Flock installations, other AI-powered license plate readers have also been set up in Suffolk; however, specific locations were not disclosed due to regulatory exemptions.

In the nearby Nassau County, there is about one Flock Safety camera roughly every nine and a half miles, making suburban drivers among the most surveilled in the nation.

The recent cameras in Suffolk were funded by a $542,500 law enforcement technology grant from the state, which received unanimous approval from the county legislature in August 2025. This move has significantly enhanced the surveillance network, particularly across the East End of Long Island.

The funding covered the purchase of 35 additional Flock cameras, with 16 being installed in areas such as Southampton, Riverhead, Southold, and along Route 114 in Sag Harbor and East Hampton Village, as well as near Exit 71 on the Long Island Expressway.

These cameras are known for capturing and retaining data on each vehicle that passes by, including license plates and distinct characteristics like dents or bumper stickers. This information can be searched nationwide by law enforcement without needing a warrant, allowing them to track vehicles with ease.

The expansion comes amid an unexpected delay in the installation of Flock Safety’s “Raven” listening system, another controversial tech product from the same company, which was part of a separate $4 million agreement earlier this year.

Over the last few years, Flock’s surveillance technology has rapidly gained traction among law enforcement agencies across the country but has also sparked significant debate and protests regarding privacy rights.

Critics often label this technology as a “Big Brother” surveillance system and have expressed concerns related to the Fourth Amendment, leading to the creation of activist groups and manifesting in acts of vandalism against such systems, including incidents on Long Island.

In June alone, Long Island police conducted around 3,000 manual searches through Flock’s database, citing various reasons for their investigations ranging from traffic violations to allegations of terrorism.

Across the nation, over 100 law enforcement officers have faced repercussions for misusing Flock data, with notable cases such as an incident in Georgia where a police chief allegedly tracked his ex-girlfriend and her teenage daughter nearly 600 times.

Newly proposed federal legislation could have significant implications for Nassau and Suffolk counties, suggesting they might lose federal funding if they continue their agreements with Flock Safety.