How we verify the map

What counts as a mapped deployment?

A deployment is any agency, organization, or local government that has publicly said it runs a license plate reader program. We include agencies even when the exact camera locations were never made public. When we only know about the program, the marker sits at the city or county center, never at a guessed camera spot.

What counts as an exact camera location?

An exact camera location means a specific pole, intersection, or address that a government record actually names: a city council packet, a contract, or an official agency map. We never guess locations from photos, sightings, or rumors.

What sources qualify as verified?

Our evidence hierarchy, strongest to weakest:

1. Official contract, agenda, policy, budget, or meeting minutes.
2. Official city, county, or agency announcement.
3. A public records request response we are allowed to publish.
4. Local news reporting that names the agency.
5. Vendor material. Useful as a lead; we confirm it on our own.
6. Community tips. Never enough on their own for a confirmed label.

How do we distinguish active, proposed, and removed systems?

We rely on the dates and wording in the sources. A system is:

• Confirmed active when a source confirms it is running now.
• Confirmed approved / pending when a vote or contract has passed but operation has not been confirmed.
• Proposed when only a proposal has been made.
• Previously deployed / removed when a source confirms it was decommissioned or taken down.

How often are records checked?

Every record shows a last verified date. We aim to re-check every record at least every six months. Community tips and correction requests can trigger an earlier review.

What does "no public disclosure located" mean?

It means we searched that government's public records: council agendas, contract portals, policy pages, budgets, and local news. As of the date shown, we found no public record of a plate reader program. That does not mean no cameras exist. It means the government has not told the public about them.

How can an agency, resident, or journalist submit a correction?

Use the correction form linked at the bottom of every page and in every map popup. We reply within 72 hours and finish the review within 14 days. Every change shows up in our public changelog.

How are submissions vetted?

Community tips start as leads, not published facts. Our process:

1. A tip enters the pending queue.
2. Automated checks for spam, personal data, and banned material.
3. A researcher checks whether the source is public and on topic.
4. The researcher looks for at least one independent source that backs it up.
5. We assign a precision level, a confidence score, and a status.
6. We publish, reject, or ask for more detail.
7. We log the change in the public changelog.

We never publish submissions automatically.

What kinds of personal or sensitive information do we prohibit?

We never accept: live camera feeds or access to camera systems; passwords or leaked material; data that identifies a specific vehicle or plate; camera locations guessed from sightings or rumors; instructions to damage, disable, or bypass cameras; or the names, addresses, and personal details of the people who send us tips.