How to Find Every Secret AI Police Camera in South Dakota

If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve likely stumbled across a heated debate over some mysterious new hardware appearing on area utility poles. To a local resident, they look like nothing more than harmless, solar-powered traffic or weather sensors. However, several local online discussion threads have some bizarre and interesting theories regarding the true purpose of these cameras, ranging from routine city data collection to elaborate mass surveillance plots.

The truth, as it turns out, lies somewhere right in the middle. Here's a look at what these cameras are all about, and, more importantly, where you can find them.

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These devices are actually automated license plate readers (ALPR), manufactured by a company called Flock Safety. They are operated by local agencies like the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office, and the technology is designed to help law enforcement track stolen vehicles, locate missing persons, and solve property crimes in real time.

A common misconception is that these are "Red Light Cameras" and are being used to issue speeding tickets to drivers in the area with a lead foot. They're not. Instead, they act as an advanced digital security fence, using artificial intelligence to identify specific vehicle characteristics such as make, model, color, or even unique dents and roof racks.

While public safety officials view the network as an invaluable tool for modern policing, the rapid growth of the technology has naturally sparked a wave of privacy concerns among South Dakota drivers who are uncomfortable with the idea of their daily commutes being logged.

Fortunately, finding out exactly how close these devices are to your neighborhood doesn't require guesswork. Thanks to an open-source, crowdsourced mapping project called DeFlock (deflock.org), the public can now look up exactly where these active AI cameras are positioned throughout the city and surrounding suburbs.

According to the Deflock website, there are several of these cameras being utilized in Sioux Falls and its surrounding suburbs. These include: W. 41st Street/Minnesota Avenue, Downtown Sioux Falls, and South Louise Avenue.

While the verdict is still out as to whether or not these cameras are a vital resource being used to help the local community or a privacy infringement, the good news is that the city is fully transparent regarding exactly where they're located.

You can see the locations of these cameras yourself on the Deflock website by simply typing in the name of the town where you live, or your zipcode.