To be frank, artificial intelligence is concerning. Tech companies are ushering in a new era that many do not know how to accept. The University of Mississippi, in light of academic concerns, is even ushering in new AI policies to keep students’ usage in check.
AI has infiltrated Oxford beyond college students’ essays, however. License plate readers, commonly known as Flock cameras for being popularized by manufacturer Flock Safety, are automated roadside surveillance devices that capture information on vehicles that pass by them.
While I do not personally support or understand the devotion many have to the cameras, I can understand why many stand in strong defense. For local law enforcement agencies, Flock cameras are a great way to protect municipalities without overextending resources.
Law enforcement agencies in Oxford and Lafayette County use the controversial devices to “[help] officers locate vehicles and gather information in cases ranging from burglaries to domestic violence and missing persons,” per reporting by The Oxford Eagle.
Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen said the establishment of Flock cameras, dating back to 2022, has accurately assisted the department in numerous sexual assault and mental health cases in Oxford and Lafayette County.
The Oxford Police Department is not the only police force to speak highly of the hardware. Authorities across the country openly utilize the devices. The argument for Flock cameras can be impressively simple: they help solve crimes.
Departments like Oxford’s own rely on the cameras to make necessary arrests and keep communities safe. For law enforcement, Flock cameras are not a net negative. They are a lot like the surveillance cameras seen on doorbells, street corners and gas stations; the major difference is the people who have access to the devices’ data.
Wall Street Journal opinion columnist Emma Camp published a strong defense for why Flock cameras should remain on streets. Camp argued Flock cameras are not “fundamentally different” from current surveillance cameras or automatic license plate readers (ALPR); in fact, there is the added benefit of its national database. However, Camp does acknowledge the very real concern of who uses the cameras and for what purpose they are used.
It is not the tool itself that poses a threat but, instead, the people who are allowed access to the information. However, in general, Flock cameras do possess the ability to reduce crime and can make the justice system fairer. In July 2026, Flock cameras spotlighted the cars and individuals involved with drug seizures in Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Arrests rose and motor vehicle thefts decreased.
Flock cameras can be used for good. With a lack of strong regulations in place, moral ALPR use is up to the discretion of each officer who swore to serve and protect his or her community. The cameras have the potential to be dangerous, but we must be quicker to criticize the individuals abusing the technology rather than the cameras themselves.
Pegah Vasighi-Ansarifar is a sophomore public health and Southern studies major from Madison, Miss.
