Flock Safety
en.wikipedia.org

... Flock Group Inc., doing business as Flock Safety,[1] is an American manufacturer and operator of security hardware and software, particularly automated license plate recognition (ALPR), video surveillance, and gunfire locator systems, and supporting software to integrate the data gathered by these technologies. Founded in 2017, Flock operates such systems under contract with law enforcement agencies, neighborhood associations, and private property owners.

As of 2025, Flock claims to operate in over 5,000 communities across 49 U.S. states, and perform over 20 billion scans of vehicles in the U.S. every month.[2][3][4] Flock Safety's network of cameras, utilizing image recognition and machine learning, can share data with police departments and can be integrated into predictive policing platforms like Palantir.[5]

Flock differs from its competitors in that it markets their services not just to law enforcement, but also to homeowner associations and similar community organizations as tools for crime prevention.

They claim that their systems aid criminal investigations; however, they are widely described by critics as an example of mass surveillance, and their efficacy and effects on privacy and other civil liberties are the subject of extensive public scrutiny, debate, and litigation.[6] ...

Flock's Aggressive Expansions Go Far Beyond Simple Driver Surveillance
www.aclu.org

... Build it (an authoritarian tracking infrastructure) and they (expanded uses) will come ...

Under Surveillance: Constitutional Concerns Surrounding Flock Cameras
journals.law.unc.edu

... How would you feel if every time you left your house, cameras were tracking every detail of your vehicle and exactly where you were going? This is a reality in many communities nationwide as "Flock Safety" cameras continue to gain popularity among police departments and private business owners. These cameras are touted for reducing crime and aiding police departments in unsolved cases. However, there are questions surrounding the constitutionality of the new technology.

Flock Safety was founded in 2017 by three Georgia Tech alumni and has since become one of the fastest-growing companies in Atlanta. Their cameras can now be found in 4,000 cities across 42 different states. This includes North Carolina communities like Raleigh, where the police department installed 25 cameras in 2023. Within only 6 months of installation, the cameras assisted police officers in making 41 arrests.

The cameras work by taking a picture of a vehicle when it passes by. From the picture, it collects data about the vehicle such as the license plate number, color, and model. It can even track more subtle characteristics such as the bumper stickers on the car or whether the car has a roof rack. This data is then transferred to the Flock database where it can be accessed by Flock customers such as law enforcement agencies. The data is stored for up to 30 days after the information is first logged.

Police departments have touted this new technology as allowing them to solve numerous cases and find stolen cars. The CEO of Flock claimed that the devices help police departments solve about 2,200 crimes per day. However, it is not only police departments who are relying on this new tech. Homeowners associations and private companies are also customers of Flock and are able to tap into their immense network of data. All of this leaves around 70 percent of the population under the coverage of Flock's cameras. ...