Milton traffic devices misidentified as Flock cameras, state officials say

The devices are sensors that detect when vehicles are waiting at the stop sign and then activate warning signs.

Devices along Route 2 near Bear Trap Road and Cub Road were recently flagged online as license plate readers linked to the Milton Police Department, but state and local officials say that description is incorrect.

According to the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the equipment is not a camera system at all. The devices are sensors that detect when vehicles are waiting at the stop sign and then activate warning signs to tell drivers on Route 2 that traffic is entering from the side road.

The Milton Police Department also denied any connection to the devices and said it does not use license plate reader cameras. Officers said they have been asked about the equipment before.

The mistaken listing appeared on DeFlock, a website that gathers user reports of suspected surveillance cameras and plots them on a map. In Vermont, the map shows only a small number of reported locations, most of them at private businesses.

The confusion comes at a time when license plate reader technology is under growing scrutiny nationwide because of privacy worries and possible misuse. Vermont, however, has restrictions in place that limit how police can use such tools. A 2013 law allows use only for legitimate law enforcement purposes, including situations such as Amber Alerts.

The Vermont ACLU supported that law and pushed for stronger guardrails before the technology expanded further. Falko Schilling, the group’s advocacy director, said the goal was to make sure the public had protections in place before surveillance systems advanced too far ahead of oversight.

Drivers in Vermont expressed mixed views on the issue. Some said they worry about where collected data ends up and how it may be used. Others said police should have access when needed to help with investigations or public safety.

DeFlock did not respond to a request for information about how it checks reports before placing them on its map, including the Milton entry.