Flock Safety deploys airborne drones that read license plates from 2,000 feet

Flock Safety, the company behind more than 120,000 ground‑based automated license‑plate readers (ALPR) across the United States, has introduced an airborne version of its technology. The new Flock Alpha drone can travel up to 60 mph and capture license‑plate data from as far as 2,000 feet, recording vehicle make, model, color, and other identifying details.

The drones are marketed as “first responder” units after Flock partnered with aviation software firm Aerodome to create the “Drone as First Responder” platform. Privacy advocates warn the system could greatly expand surveillance capabilities by adding aerial coverage to an existing nationwide searchable database of vehicle information.