A Flock camera does more than photograph license plates. Depending on what a city or business pays for, the system can log a vehicle’s make, color and distinguishing features such as roof racks or bumper stickers, and some installations add audio sensors that listen for sounds such as gunshots or screaming.

That range of capabilities helps explain why some communities have canceled their Flock contracts while others keep adding cameras. If a new device has gone up near your home, a few physical details can help you identify whether it’s a Flock unit, and public maps may help confirm it.

The problem is that while there’s so much concern over Flock cameras and various abuses by law enforcement , people aren’t always great at spotting Flock cams in the real world. It leads to lots of mistaken fears about radar, traffic cameras, trail cams and other various, nontracking devices.…