GTA V Mod Lets Players Destroy Flock Cameras - Newsweek

As controversy around Flock Safety’s network of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras continues to swirl, people can now take their frustration out in computerized form thanks to one gamer who has added the cameras to Grand Theft Auto V.

Grand Theft Automated License Plate Reader is a game mod—a fan-made modification that changes or adds features to a video game—that adds 235 Flock ALPR cameras to the in-game city of Los Santos.

The mod, created by software engineer Morry Kolman, not only makes the game harder by allowing police to track players with the cameras, but also allows players to smash and shoot down the cameras for monetary rewards.

"I put Flock cameras in GTA V as a way to highlight and make tangible the pervasive intrusion of Flock and other ALPR cameras into daily American life," Kolman told Newsweek.

Newsweek reached out to Flock and Rockstar Games via email for comment.

Flock cameras collect license plate information along with details such as a vehicle's color, make, model, and other distinguishing characteristics, and can be searched by law enforcement agencies.

With cameras operating in thousands of communities across the country, supporters say the system is an important investigative tool, while critics argue that the network breaches privacy.

Communities have rejected proposed Flock camera deployments or removed existing camera networks amid concerns about surveillance and civil liberties. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have pushed legislation to restrict or more closely regulate ALPR technology, arguing that growing use threatens privacy rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment.

Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Eric Burlison of Missouri introduced the “Flock-Off Act” earlier this month, a bill to ban federal funding for flock cameras, which would require federal agencies to remove federally funded systems and require state and local recipients to stop operating them within 180 days.

Meanwhile, when asked about Flock cameras on board Air Force One this month, President Donald Trump lent the cameras some much needed support.

"I sort of like 'em because of that, because of law enforcement. But some people don't. They think it's an infringement,” Trump said.

Players can download the mod to their game and play with the Flock-inspired features. Kolman said the mod was designed to reflect both the growing reach of ALPR networks and concerns raised by critics about surveillance and wrongful identifications.

The mod's website notes that players can destroy cameras for cash rewards and includes a mechanic that can trigger police pursuits even when a player has committed no crime.

"By modding the cameras into the game, I wanted to make the feeling of playing it weird and unsettling. Suddenly, you're always watched. With the simple addition of some cameras, the entire environment gains a new passive layer of hostility," Kolman said.

With 235 cameras to contend with, Kolman pointed out on the mod’s web page that: “This number is 1/10th the amount of Flock ALPRS currently tracked by DeFlock.org in LA County, which GTA V is heavily based on.”

In real-life Los Angeles, the city is one of over 140 communities who have canceled, deactivated or rejected Flock cameras this year after the LAPD let its contract with Flock expire in July.

When the mod is downloaded, gameplay is influenced by the presence of the cameras. Suddenly, police surveillance becomes nearly impossible to evade while taking part in criminal activity in the game, while there is also a chance of police response even when the player has done nothing wrong.

“Representing Flock's own history of inaccurate reporting, every time a player passes through a camera's field of view, the mod creates a one in 20 chance that the ALPR will trigger a police chase without any cause,” Kolman said.

There have been at least 33 documented cases since 2018 in which automated license plate reader (ALPR) errors led to innocent motorists being stopped or detained, with many incidents escalating to officers drawing firearms before the mistake was discovered, according to the Institute for Justice.

Flock has repeatedly defended its camera network, saying it helps law enforcement locate stolen vehicles, find missing people and solve investigations. The company has also announced a series of safeguards in response to concerns about misuse and privacy.

While Rockstar Games, maker of Grand Theft Auto games, has generally permitted fan-made mods for their games, they have historically been against mods that impact online play or use their intellectual property in unauthorized ways.

Ahead of the release of Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, 2026, Rockstar again updated its guidance to remind mod makers to “respect our games.”

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes, Emma Lee-Sang and Cristina Diciu.