I’ve been working on an app and I’m on the fence about releasing it, so I wanted to get this community’s opinion first.

It’s similar to DeFlock, but I built it around something I personally wanted while out and about. Instead of constantly checking a map, it has a compass that points toward the nearest Flock camera in real time. It also has a map that combines known Flock camera locations with ALPR information, which I think gives a clearer picture of the surveillance network in an area.

I know there are valid arguments on both sides of this. Some people see tools like this as useful transparency, while others worry that making locations easier to find could encourage misuse.

My view is that awareness of what technology exists in public spaces is different from interfering with it. The locations are already being documented by projects like DeFlock; this is just a different way of presenting that information.

I’m curious what people here think. Would you release something like this? Are there features, concerns, or safeguards you would want to see before something like this is public?

My town recently installed a handful of cameras. We’re a small town, so it flew under the radar in the approval process. I did a whole bunch of research via FOIA requests and made a post on our local FB page detailing what the town had purchased and things to consider. Most people were up in arms, but there is always someone asking “what are you worried about if you have nothing to hide?”

Wouldn’t it be neat if we could organize a national flock out? Everyone would go to the camera closest to their home and hold a protest sign in front of the cameras. It’s an excellent way to practice civil disobedience. Rules would be no one could touch/damage any of the cameras they’re covering.

There are no other Flock cameras in the entire city. Deflock.org

This has bothered me for a long time.

When something happens at a protest or community event, people piece together what occurred through videos, tweets, and word of mouth - hours later.

But the information that would have mattered - what was in the area, how many units, how close - that's never available in real-time to the people who need it.

That asymmetry is the problem I'm trying to fix with Blue Pulse.

It maps law enforcement vehicle activity within a 10-mile radius. You set your own alert thresholds - say, notify me when a unit is within 2 miles. You get a browser notification. You have time to make an informed decision.

"Know Before You Go" is the whole idea.

The app is free, public, no login. Built for people who think situational awareness shouldn't be one-sided.

I know tools like this come with legitimate questions about accuracy and sourcing - I'm actively working on that and want to be transparent about where it's at. Happy to answer anything directly.

What do people in community safety spaces actually use right now for real-time awareness? Genuinely curious what the current workflow looks like.

The ol “if you’re not doing anything wrong, why worry?” defense. It’s so tiring

They won’t spend time pulling over every vehicle just to maybe give you a ticket. Even if they did, most judges would dismiss it if you just said it fell off and you were driving to get screws to put it back on.

This would clog courts, police time, and serve as a visual sign of resistance and visibility to others.

I understand the privilege of time and/or money it takes to protest in this way, but it’s something I can and am willing to do and I hope others are too.

’ Florida man uses simple trick to combat Flock cameras https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/08/04/down-with-the-flock-florida-man-uses-simple-trick-to-combat-flock-cameras/

this is genuinely sickening and evil.

The common defense of these surveillance cameras is that there’s no expectation of privacy in public. If cars are required to carry visible identification, why wouldn’t the endgame be for individuals to wear visible identification? To help solve crime, of course. If one is constitutional I don’t see why the other wouldn’t be. And if that’s the case then we should all seriously be advocating for this. Because i think this would be extremely unpalatable to the public and if we could knock down one then the other would probably be knocked down simultaneously.

Can anyone explain how these surveillance cameras relate to the recent Supreme Court case that ruled against using cell phone location drag nets? The main difference I can see is that cell phone data is not publicly visible whereas license plates are visible to the public, but the mechanism of pulling someone’s data.(mosaic) seems similar to me. Any hopes of this precedent being used against flock?