Cedar Rapids ALPR Coverage: EyesOffCR.org Blog

The city signed a $14.6 million contract with Axon in June. Starting September 1st it puts about 100 fixed ALPR cameras via two separate plate reader systems, drones, anti-drone radar, and 227 body cams onto one police screen. "Plate reader" was said zero times at the council meeting.

Cedar Rapids PD's FY2026 budget reveals $245,000+ spent on surveillance and investigative software: Flock ALPR cameras, Vigilant Solutions national database, CLEAR and LeadsOnline for person-tracking, Magnet Forensics for phone extraction. Together they create a person-vehicle-property triangulation system that normalizes mass surveillance.

A critical look at the Flock Safety camera security breach and the expansion of surveillance in Cedar Rapids. When surveillance infrastructure expands faster than public oversight, it fails.

This report provides a detailed technical dissection of the Flock Falcon Flex Camera, focusing on its hardware architecture, customized Android software, and diverse operational boot modes.

Some good news this week: after weeks of pressure, the Cedar Rapids Police Department has released the locations of Flock Safety cameras deployed across the city. This is a meaningful step toward transparency. A few months ago, none of this information was available to the public.

Flock Safety wants you to believe they're helping your neighborhood fight crime. In reality, they've built a national surveillance grid with direct ties to the same government contractors, intelligence circles, and venture firms that feed the war machine. And cities across the U.S., including Cedar Rapids and Storm Lake, are paying for it with public funds.

Hendrik van Pelt grew up in the Netherlands hearing stories from his grandparents about life under Nazi occupation. Years later, as an immigrant to Iowa, he noticed strange black cameras popping up along roads statewide. For Hendrik, the memories rushed back, compelling him to challenge Iowa's growing surveillance network.

In June 2024, the Cedar Rapids City Council approved a $499,250 contract with Flock Safety to install Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras, adding our city to a national network of license plate surveillance. This article explores how these cameras raise serious privacy concerns, the technical vulnerabilities of ALPR systems, and possible countermeasures.