Key Takeaways:
- Flock Safety, a safety technology company, has expanded its services from license plate reading cameras to drones for law enforcement, despite facing privacy concerns.
- The company’s technology has been credited with helping to locate suspects, including the Brown University shooting suspect.
- Flock’s CEO, Garrett Langley, believes that the company’s technology is essential for keeping Americans safe and deterring crime.
- The company has faced criticism from privacy advocates and community groups, with some cities canceling contracts due to concerns over surveillance and data sharing.
- Flock has implemented guardrails, such as audit trails, to ensure responsible use of its technology and has rolled out a "drone as first responder" service to help law enforcement respond to emergency calls.
Introduction to Flock Safety
Flock Safety, a company that specializes in safety technology, has been making headlines recently due to its expansion from license plate reading cameras to drones for law enforcement. The company’s CEO, Garrett Langley, sat down with a reporter to discuss the company’s growth and respond to concerns surrounding its technology. Just hours after the meeting, Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez credited Flock’s cameras and technology for helping to locate the Brown University shooting suspect, highlighting the value and importance of the company’s technology.
The Value of Flock’s Technology
Langley emphasized that his goal is to deter crime by convincing would-be criminals that they will be caught. He believes that Flock’s technology is essential for keeping Americans safe and that it can help to prevent tragedies like the Brown University shooting. Langley also stated that he was motivated to start Flock to keep Americans safer and that he thinks the country runs a risk of a generation of people not believing that America works for them because they don’t feel safe. He noted that in some communities, it’s too easy to get away with crime, and that Flock’s technology can help to change that.
Flock’s Products and Services
Flock’s flagship product is an outdoor camera that can read license plates and identify other details about vehicles as they drive by. The company’s AI system allows police to search its network of footage for a specific car, and around 6,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States use its LPRs. Flock has also rolled out a "drone as first responder" service, where law enforcement officers can dispatch a drone equipped with a camera to evaluate the scene of an emergency call before human officers arrive. The company’s drone systems completed 10,000 flights in the third quarter of 2025 alone, according to the company.
Privacy Concerns and Criticism
Despite the value of Flock’s technology, the company has faced criticism from some privacy advocates and community groups who worry that its networks of cameras are collecting too much personal information from private citizens and could be misused. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union have urged communities not to work with Flock, citing concerns over surveillance and data sharing. Flock has also drawn scrutiny for its partnership with Amazon’s Ring doorbell camera system, which lets public safety agencies request video footage from Ring customers. Some cities, such as Redmond, Washington, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, have stopped working with Flock due to concerns over surveillance and data sharing.
Flock’s Response to Privacy Concerns
Langley has responded to the criticism by stating that it’s up to police to reassure communities that the cameras will be used responsibly. He noted that Flock has built some guardrails into its technology, including audit trails that show when data was accessed. Langley also pointed to a case in Georgia where an audit found a police chief using data from LPR cameras to stalk and harass people, and the chief resigned and was arrested and charged. He emphasized that Flock has to give law enforcement tools to do their job, but also hold them accountable to not break the law.
The Future of Flock’s Technology
As Flock continues to expand its services, the company is likely to face ongoing criticism and scrutiny from privacy advocates and community groups. However, Langley remains committed to his vision of using technology to keep Americans safe. He believes that Flock’s technology can help to deter crime and prevent tragedies, and that the company’s guardrails and audit trails can help to ensure responsible use of its technology. As the company continues to grow and evolve, it will be important for Flock to balance its mission with the concerns of the communities it serves.