Flock & ALPR cameras in Chicago, IL
2,357 mapped ALPR cameras around metro Chicago as of 3 September 2026, run by 152 operators — ranking 13th of the 251 metro areas BanditKin tracks. See each one on the live map below — which way it faces and its approximate capture zone — free, no account. BanditKin is the private app that routes around them.
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What makes Chicago different
Chicago has more separate ALPR operators than any other metro BanditKin tracks — 152 of them. Chicago Police Department runs 591 of the 2,357 mapped cameras, about 25%, but the rest fragment across dozens of suburban departments, two county sheriffs and the Illinois State Police, which is unusual: state-level policing rarely appears in the top ranks elsewhere.
It is also one of the less Flock-dominated large metros. Only 1,372 of 2,357 cameras carry a Flock Safety tag, with 381 tagged Motorola Solutions and a further 512 carrying no manufacturer tag at all. Chicago also has the most wall- and bridge-mounted readers we find, 87 between them, rather than the usual roadside pole.
This page is part of the Illinois camera hub, which counts every camera inside the state line rather than by metro box and ranks Chicago against Aurora, Rockford and the downstate metros.
Chicago ALPR cameras by the numbers
Four numbers that describe the Chicago network, taken from the map above on the same day.
2,357
Mapped ALPR cameras in metro Chicago
152
Separate operating agencies on the map
2,114
Cameras with a recorded facing direction
1,372
Cameras tagged Flock Safety
Read from the live map on 3 September 2026. The underlying records are OpenStreetMap entries plus community submissions — nobody who operates a camera is obliged to declare it, so these are the documented minimum rather than the full picture. The metro is a box roughly 50 miles across centred on Chicago.
How Chicago compares
Top of the table on size among the 251 metro areas tracked, all counted the same way on the same day.
Chicago ranks 13th of the 251 metro areas BanditKin tracks by mapped cameras, between New York, NY and Newark, NJ, and 1st by operator count.
Top of the table on size; 143rd of 251 on bearing coverage at 90%, and 120th on lead-operator share at 25%.
Mapped ALPR cameras
2,357 — 13th of 251
Separate operators on the map
152 — 1st of 251
Cameras per operator
15.5 — 122nd of 251
Largest operator's share
25% — 120th of 251
Share with a recorded bearing
90% — 143rd of 251
Ranked against the 251 metro areas BanditKin tracks, every one read from the live map on 3 September 2026. Metro areas are drawn as a box around the city centre, so neighbouring metros can share cameras and these counts must never be added together.
Which departments run the cameras around Chicago
The mapped cameras around Chicago trace back to 152 separate operators. Chicago Police Department accounts for the largest single share.
Chicago Police Department
591 cameras
Illinois State Police
69 cameras
Cook County Sheriff's Office
40 cameras
Elmhurst Police Department
36 cameras
Evergreen Park Police Department
35 cameras
Northbrook Police Department
33 cameras
Cicero Police Department
31 cameras
Rosemont Police Department
31 cameras
Oak Lawn Police Department
27 cameras
Gary Police Department
26 cameras
DuPage County Sheriff's Office
26 cameras
Wilmette Police Department
26 cameras
Orland Park Police Department
25 cameras
Elk Grove Village Police Department
25 cameras
Niles Police Department
25 cameras
Highland Police Department
24 cameras
Berwyn Police Department
24 cameras
Glenview Police Department
24 cameras
Highland Park Police Department
24 cameras
Skokie Police Department
22 cameras
These are the 20 largest of 152 operators. Where OpenStreetMap names an operator we use that name; otherwise the camera is attributed to whichever jurisdiction it stands in (1,577 cameras here), which is a sound inference rather than a confirmed fact. 398 cameras record no operator of any kind.
It isn't all Flock
'Flock' has become shorthand for any plate reader. Around Chicago it is only part of the story — 74% of the vendor-tagged cameras — but Motorola Solutions accounts for 381.
Flock Safety
1,372 cameras
Motorola Solutions
381 cameras
Genetec
56 cameras
Rekor
11 cameras
Axis Communications
10 cameras
Neology
7 cameras
Leonardo
6 cameras
Vue Robotics
1 camera
Manufacturer is a free-text field, so spellings and legal names have been consolidated here. 512 of 2,357 mapped cameras name no manufacturer at all, which makes the actual distribution broader than shown. 1 further manufacturer falls below the eight shown. These count cameras on the map, not purchase orders.
Where they sit, and which way they face
2,114 of the 2,357 mapped cameras around Chicago record which way they point, which is what makes routing around them possible.
Look for a slim grey or black box the size of a shoebox on its own pole, usually paired with a small solar panel, at intersections and on the approaches to shopping centres. Recorded mounts around Chicago:
On a dedicated pole
571 cameras
On a street lamp
132 cameras
On a wall
59 cameras
On a bridge
28 cameras
On a sign
4 cameras
On a post
3 cameras
One camera covers one approach, so its heading is what decides which journeys end up recorded. Around Chicago the mapped bearings distribute like this:
Facing south
334 cameras
Facing north
301 cameras
Facing east
289 cameras
Facing west
283 cameras
Facing northwest
256 cameras
Facing southeast
242 cameras
Facing southwest
219 cameras
Facing northeast
190 cameras
Bearings come from public map data and describe an approximate capture zone, never an exact field of view. 233 mapped cameras have no recorded bearing, and 10 are tagged as omnidirectional.
Documented ALPR programs around Chicago
Records-based sources document 62 agencies running plate readers around Chicago. Some of the largest are below; the map above shows where the cameras actually are.
Schaumburg Police Department
The Schaumburg Police Department has used automated license plate readers since at least 2012. The village installed Scientel Solutions cameras in 2020. Vendor: Scientel Solutions.
Hickory Hills Police Department
The Hickory Hills Police Department uses Vigilant Solutions automated license plate readers. The agency scanned 66,748 license plates in 2019. Vendor: Vigilant Solutions.
Elk Grove Village Police Department
The Elk Grove Village Police Department uses Vigilant Solutions automated license plate readers. Vendor: Vigilant Solutions.
Palatine Police Department
The Palatine Police Department Began using automated license plate readers in 2016.
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department has used automated license plate readers since 2006 and increased its fleet of ALPR-equippped vehicles in 2019. Vendor: Vigilant Solutions.
Lansing Police Department
The Lansing Police Department uses Vigilant Solutions automated license plate readers. Vendor: Vigilant Solutions.
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation, Atlas of Surveillance. Summaries are the Atlas's own wording, trimmed to a complete sentence.
Seeing the cameras is free. Avoiding them is the app.
Knowing where the cameras are is half of it. The BanditKin app routes around the ones with a recorded bearing when you ask it to, tells you plainly when it can't, and never sends your identity or location anywhere.
This page is part of the Illinois camera hub, which counts every camera inside the state line rather than by metro box. New to this? Read what ALPR cameras capture, how long it is kept, and who can search it. Not in Chicago? Search the full map by any city.
ALPR camera maps for nearby and related cities: Aurora, IL · Rockford, IL · Milwaukee, WI · Indianapolis, IN · Toledo, OH · Flint, MI · Dayton, OH.
Get BanditKin on Google PlayChicago ALPR questions
How many Flock cameras does Chicago have?
Public map data records 2,357 ALPR cameras around metro Chicago as of 3 September 2026, run by 152 separate operators. 1,372 are tagged Flock Safety. That count is a floor, not a full inventory: cameras appear on the map as people map them, and 512 carry no manufacturer tag at all.
Where are Flock cameras in Chicago?
The live map above shows 2,357 mapped ALPR cameras around metro Chicago, each with an approximate viewing cone. Positions come from OpenStreetMap and community reports, so coverage may be incomplete — if you know a camera that isn't shown, you can report it directly on the map.
Who operates the ALPR cameras around Chicago?
152 operators in total, led by Chicago Police Department (591) and Illinois State Police (69). Of the cameras with a recorded operator type, 1,498 are police, 79 are sheriff's offices and 6 are privately run.
Can I avoid Flock cameras when driving in Chicago?
Yes, within limits. BanditKin routes around the 2,114 Chicago cameras whose facing direction is known (90% of the total), with a slider for how hard to try, and it tells you honestly when no camera-free route exists. It is off by default and never sends your identity or location.
Is this map free? Do I need an account?
Yes, the map is free, and no account is needed. It is built on public data — OpenStreetMap and the EFF Atlas of Surveillance — plus community reports. The BanditKin app adds the private navigation that routes around the cameras.