A small Youngtown zip code has more automated license plate reader cameras per person than anywhere else in the Valley — or the state.
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The data comes from DeFlock.org, a crowdsourced map built by ALPR critics that tracks cameras from Flock, Motorola and Axon — both active and inactive. By that count, Arizona has 2,161 ALPR cameras, or 28 per 100,000 people.
Maricopa County has the most cameras by total count, but rural Arizona leads when measured per person. Graham and La Paz counties top 100 cameras per 100,000 residents. Pinal County sits at 69, and Cochise and Coconino counties are both above 50.
Pinal's number is expected to drop soon. The sheriff's office did not renew its Flock contract, and many of those cameras are set to go dark by early next week.
In the Valley, Tempe previously had the highest rate — until it canceled its contract. That leaves Peoria at the top with 99 cameras, or 50 per 100,000 people. Scottsdale follows at 46, Glendale at 37, and San Tan Valley at 35.
At the zip code level, the gap is stark. Youngtown's 85363 has nearly 800 cameras per 100,000 people — far ahead of any other area in the state. Casa Grande's 85122 ranks second at 155 cameras per 100,000. The city has its own Flock contract, so many of those cameras remain active. Paradise Valley's 85253 and Tolleson's 85353 round out the top four.
Supporters call ALPR cameras a crime-fighting tool. Critics call them a privacy threat.
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