Norfolk Traffic Cameras

Stand Up for Your Privacy Rights — Share Your Story 

If you drive through Norfolk, you’re not just going about your day—you’re being watched. Norfolk’s police department has installed over 170 cameras across the city that record and track your driving patterns. These cameras collect your location data on a rolling 30-day basis, forming what a court recently called “a dragnet over the entire city.” 

This mass surveillance raises serious Fourth Amendment concerns. The Fourth Amendment protects you from unreasonable searches and seizures, and it was designed to guard against fishing expeditions by government officials. But in today’s world, that doesn’t just mean protecting your home. The technology has evolved, and so have government surveillance tactics. Now, your movements across the entire city are being monitored without your consent or a warrant. 

Do you drive in Norfolk? If so, every single movement you make is being watched—that’s not right.  

What Can We Do About It? 

Past court rulings have reinforced the notion that the government needs a warrant before it can track your movements or collect personal location data. The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling on cell phone location data and the 2021 decision on Baltimore’s aerial surveillance underscore this principle. Yet, Norfolk’s camera system continues to track the daily lives of its citizens. 

As Norfolk Chief of Police Mark Talbot recently explained in a city council meeting, “It would be difficult to drive anywhere of any distance without running into a camera.” 

That’s outrageous. While fighting crime is important, the Constitution was designed to protect your rights from unchecked government power. 

At the Institute for Justice, we believe that the government should not be able to track your movements without a warrant. As a non-profit civil liberties law firm, the Institute for Justice represents everyday people—free of charge—when the government violates their most important constitutional rights. 

We’re looking for individuals who regularly drive in Norfolk who are concerned about their privacy and want to stand up for their Fourth Amendment rights. 

If you’re concerned about Norfolk’s mass surveillance and believe your privacy has been violated by the city’s camera system, we want to hear from you. 

Please fill out the form below to share how Norfolk’s camera system has impacted you. Whether you live in Norfolk or nearby and regularly drive through the city to drop your kids at school, attend medical appointments, or because you drive for a living—your experience matters. 

Together, we can challenge this unconstitutional invasion of privacy.