Flock Safety vs Aeye: Why Mobile ALPR Beats Fixed Cameras for Patrol Units

Bill Shafley
Apr 15
2 min read

Updated: Apr 17

Fixed cameras watch intersections. ai4 rides with your officers.

Flock Safety helped put ALPR on the map—mainly by installing fixed cameras on poles throughout neighborhoods and cities. Their system is effective at capturing vehicle data passing static points. But here’s the truth law enforcement already knows:

Crime moves. So should your ALPR.

If your patrol units don’t have mobile ALPR, you're operating blind the second you leave the fixed zone.

The Limits of Fixed ALPR (Like Flock)

Flock Safety cameras are pole-mounted and immobile. That means:

They only capture vehicles that pass specific fixed locations
Criminals quickly learn where the cameras are
Data is only gathered if the suspect happens to drive by one
Coverage gaps are everywhere—especially in rural or fast-moving cases
Officers still have to manually run plates in the field

Why Mobile ALPR Beats Fixed—Every Time

Mobile ALPR like ai4:

Moves with your officers
Covers every stop, every patrol, every lane
Detects plates, make, model, color, and state—all in real time
Doesn’t rely on suspect route guesswork
Provides actionable alerts in the moment, not after the fact

Whether your patrol car is on the highway, a back road, or responding to a call—ai4 never stops scanning.

Cost Comparison: Not Even Close

System	Unit Type	Coverage	Cost	Flexibility
Flock Safety	Fixed, pole-mounted	Stationary location only	$2,500+ per camera/year	❌
ai4	Vehicle-mounted, mobile	Entire patrol route	~$6,000, one-time purchase	✅

With ai4, you get unlimited coverage with each vehicle—without the recurring fees or maintenance contracts that make fixed cameras rack up hidden costs.