Flock Safety: Difference between revisions
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|Description=Flock Safety is an American surveillance technology company that develops and operates a mass surveillance system combining automated license plate readers (LPRs), video surveillance cameras, gunshot detection, drones, and data analytics platforms used by thousands of law enforcement agencies and private entities across the United States. | |Description=Flock Safety is an American surveillance technology company that develops and operates a mass surveillance system combining automated license plate readers (LPRs), video surveillance cameras, gunshot detection, drones, and data analytics platforms used by thousands of law enforcement agencies and private entities across the United States. | ||
|Logo=Flock Safety Logo (2025).svg}} | |Logo=Flock Safety Logo (2025).svg}} | ||
'''[[wikipedia:Flock_Safety|Flock Safety]]''' is a technology company that creates and operates an extensive surveillance network using automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and related technologies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |date=2025-10-23 |title=Highlights from Denver's Flock camera town hall – Mayor didn't show up |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dkIiLWuXBE |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=YouTube |type=Video}}</ref> Flock was founded in 2017 by Georgia Tech alumni Garrett Langley (CEO), Matt Feury (CTO), and Paige Todd (CPO), beginning as a side project where they built their first surveillance cameras by hand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edmonson |first=Crystal |date=2023-08-22 |title=Flock Safety cameras help police amid worker shortage, CEO Garrett Langley says |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2023/08/22/flock-safety-cameras-police-shortage-langley.html |website=Atlanta Business Chronicle}}</ref> The company operates on a "surveillance as a service" business model, owning and maintaining camera infrastructure while charging recurring fees to law enforcement agencies, private communities, and businesses for access to its surveillance data and network.<ref name="FlockFunding">{{Cite web |date=13 Mar 2025 |title=Accelerating Innovation: Flock Secures $275 Million to Advance Crime-Solving Technology |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-secures-major-funding |access-date=26 Sep 2025 |website=[[Flock Safety]]}}</ref> | '''[[wikipedia:Flock_Safety|Flock Safety]]''' is a technology company that creates and operates an extensive surveillance network using automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and related technologies.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |date=2025-10-23 |title=Highlights from Denver's Flock camera town hall – Mayor didn't show up |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dkIiLWuXBE |access-date=2025-10-30 |website=YouTube |type=Video}}</ref> Flock was founded in 2017 by Georgia Tech alumni Garrett Langley (CEO), Matt Feury (CTO), and Paige Todd (CPO), beginning as a side project where they built their first surveillance cameras by hand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edmonson |first=Crystal |date=2023-08-22 |title=Flock Safety cameras help police amid worker shortage, CEO Garrett Langley says |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2023/08/22/flock-safety-cameras-police-shortage-langley.html |website=Atlanta Business Chronicle}}</ref> The company operates on a "surveillance as a service" business model, owning and maintaining camera infrastructure while charging recurring fees to law enforcement agencies, private communities, and businesses for access to its surveillance data and network.<ref name="FlockFunding">{{Cite web |date=13 Mar 2025 |title=Accelerating Innovation: Flock Secures $275 Million to Advance Crime-Solving Technology |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-safety-secures-major-funding |access-date=26 Sep 2025 |website=[[Flock Safety]]}}</ref> | ||
As of mid-2025, independent reporting and public records indicate the Flock network comprised more than '''80,000''' AI-enabled cameras nationwide.<ref name="Koebler2025">{{cite web |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=2025-08-25 |title=CBP Had Access to More than 80,000 Flock AI Cameras Nationwide |url=https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/ |access-date=2025-10-29}}</ref> Flock’s materials state deployments in roughly 5,000 communities and the company reports the system processes "over '''20 billion'''" vehicle scans per month; these latter two figures are company-provided and should be read as Flock’s claims rather than independently verified totals.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-05-28 |title=City Leaders Choose Flock Safety: A Proven, Community-Focused Public Safety Solution |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/city-leaders-choose-flock-safety-a-proven-community-focused-public-safety-solution |website=Flock Safety |accessdate=2025-10-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Real-Time Vehicle Leads, Nationwide |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/products/national-lpr-network |website=Flock Safety |accessdate=2025-10-29}}</ref> | As of mid-2025, independent reporting and public records indicate the Flock network comprised more than '''80,000''' AI-enabled cameras nationwide.<ref name="Koebler2025">{{cite web |last=Koebler |first=Jason |date=2025-08-25 |title=CBP Had Access to More than 80,000 Flock AI Cameras Nationwide |url=https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/ |access-date=2025-10-29}}</ref> Flock’s materials state deployments in roughly 5,000 communities and the company reports the system processes "over '''20 billion'''" vehicle scans per month; these latter two figures are company-provided and should be read as Flock’s claims rather than independently verified totals.<ref>{{cite web |date=2025-05-28 |title=City Leaders Choose Flock Safety: A Proven, Community-Focused Public Safety Solution |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/city-leaders-choose-flock-safety-a-proven-community-focused-public-safety-solution |website=Flock Safety |accessdate=2025-10-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Real-Time Vehicle Leads, Nationwide |url=https://www.flocksafety.com/products/national-lpr-network |website=Flock Safety |accessdate=2025-10-29}}</ref> | ||
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===Denver Contract and Surveillance Controversy (Ongoing)=== | ===Denver Contract and Surveillance Controversy (Ongoing)=== | ||
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston unilaterally renewed the city's contract with Flock Safety through an emergency executive order just hours before a town hall protest, after the Denver City Council had unanimously rejected the contract 12-0.<ref name="cbsdenver">{{cite web | title=Some on the Denver City Council upset after Mayor Mike Johnston moves forward with controversial Flock cameras | website=CBS News Colorado | date=2025-10-23 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/flock-camera-denver-city-council-mayor/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref><ref name="coloradopolitics">{{cite web | title=Anger grows as Denver mayor extends Flock camera contract | website=Colorado Politics | date=2025-10-23 | url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/10/23/anger-grows-as-denver-mayor-extends-flock-camera-contract/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> The council's rejection was due to a lack of guardrails around data access and privacy concerns.<ref name="cbsdenver" /> The mayor's move, described by Councilwoman Shontel Lewis as "'king' behavior," bypassed democratic process and sparked immediate public backlash.<ref name="cbsdenver" /> A town hall protest organized by consumer advocate Louis Rossmann drew close to 700 attendees, filling a main conference room and overflow spaces.<ref name="coloradopolitics" /><ref | Denver Mayor Mike Johnston unilaterally renewed the city's contract with Flock Safety through an emergency executive order just hours before a town hall protest, after the Denver City Council had unanimously rejected the contract 12-0.<ref name="cbsdenver">{{cite web | title=Some on the Denver City Council upset after Mayor Mike Johnston moves forward with controversial Flock cameras | website=CBS News Colorado | date=2025-10-23 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/flock-camera-denver-city-council-mayor/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref><ref name="coloradopolitics">{{cite web | title=Anger grows as Denver mayor extends Flock camera contract | website=Colorado Politics | date=2025-10-23 | url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/10/23/anger-grows-as-denver-mayor-extends-flock-camera-contract/ | accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> The council's rejection was due to a lack of guardrails around data access and privacy concerns.<ref name="cbsdenver" /> The mayor's move, described by Councilwoman Shontel Lewis as "'king' behavior," bypassed democratic process and sparked immediate public backlash.<ref name="cbsdenver" /> A town hall protest organized by consumer advocate Louis Rossmann drew close to 700 attendees, filling a main conference room and overflow spaces.<ref name="coloradopolitics" /><ref name=":7" /> Rossmann has also published a guide for residents to oppose the cameras.<ref>{{cite video |title=A guide to de‑flocking Denver: here's EXACTLY what you need to do, step‑by‑step. |creator=Louis Rossmann |date=2025-10-20 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxJIp_4RaWk |accessdate=2025-10-30}}</ref> The new, no-cost five-month extension included new safeguards, such as a $100,000 fine on Flock for any unauthorized data sharing and cutting off access for all jurisdictions outside of the Denver Police Department.<ref name="cbsdenver" /><ref name="coloradopolitics" /> The mayor's office cited the technology's role in recovering stolen vehicles and solving homicides, while critics remained concerned about executive overreach and the system's potential for misuse.<ref name="cbsdenver" /><ref name="coloradopolitics" /> | ||
===Data Sharing with Federal Immigration Authorities (Ongoing)=== | ===Data Sharing with Federal Immigration Authorities (Ongoing)=== | ||