History of Flock Safety in Timeline

Flock Safety is an American security technology company founded in 2017 that manufactures and operates security hardware and software, including automated license plate recognition (ALPR), video surveillance, and gunfire locator systems. These systems are contracted with law enforcement, neighborhood associations, and private property owners. As of 2025, Flock operates in over 5,000 communities across 49 U.S. states, processing over 20 billion vehicle scans monthly. The company's cameras use image recognition and machine learning, sharing data with police and integrating with predictive policing platforms like Palantir.

2017: Flock Safety Co-founders Start the Company

In 2017, Flock Safety was co-founded by Georgia Tech alumni Garrett Langley, Paige Todd, and Matt Feury. They started by building video surveillance cameras by hand, prompted by a detective's feedback on the product's effectiveness.

2017: Flock Safety Founded

In 2017, Flock Safety was founded as a security hardware and software company, specializing in automated license plate recognition (ALPR), video surveillance, and gunfire locator systems.

2020: Burglaries Compared to 2021 in San Marino, California

In early 2021, statistics crediting Flock Safety's technology with an 80% reduction in residential burglaries in San Marino, California compared to 2020 were questioned. Reports indicated that burglaries had slightly increased.

2021: IPVM Study of Flock's Falcon Camera in 2021

In 2021, a study by IPVM found a 10% error rate in Flock's Falcon camera output. Following the study, Flock halted sales to IPVM and disputed the accuracy of the findings. Inaccuracies have led to wrongful arrests in several cities.

2021: Contested Statistics Regarding Residential Burglaries in San Marino, California in early 2021

2021: Flock Raven Gunfire Locator Launch in 2021

Launched in 2021, the Flock Raven is an audio gunfire locator, similar to ShotSpotter. It records audio and uses AI to detect gunshots, estimates location, and alerts police. The company claims detection of at least 1200 gunshots with low error rates.

March 2022: ACLU Report Criticizing Flock Safety in March 2022

In March 2022, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released a report criticizing Flock Safety's business model and products.

2023: ACLU Acknowledgment of Acceptable ALPR Uses in 2023

In 2023, the ACLU acknowledged that some uses of ALPRs could be acceptable, but emphasized the need for careful controls.

June 2024: Ruling Against Flock ALPR Data Collection in June 2024

In June 2024, a Virginia court ruled that collecting location data from Flock ALPRs without a warrant is unconstitutional, likening it to tracking devices. This led to increased scrutiny of Flock's operations.

October 2024: Lawsuit Against Norfolk Police Department's Use of Flock ALPRs in October 2024

In October 2024, the Institute for Justice filed a federal lawsuit against the Norfolk Police Department on behalf of local residents, asserting that the department's use of Flock ALPRs constitutes illegal surveillance and violates the Fourth Amendment.

2024: Flock's Camera Installation and Employee Count in 2024

By 2024, Flock's cameras had been installed in over 4,000 cities across 42 states, with the company employing over 900 people.

2024: Questioning Flock Safety's Statistics in 2024

In 2024, Cyrus Farivar of Forbes questioned claims by Flock Safety that their technology led to an 80% reduction in residential burglaries in San Marino, California in early 2021, asserting that burglaries had actually slightly increased. Farivar also questioned claims from Flock regarding Fort Worth, Dayton, and Lexington.

May 2025: Flock's Nova "Public Safety Data Platform" Development in May 2025

In May 2025, Flock was developing Nova, a "public safety data platform" supplementing ALPR data with information from data breaches, public records, and commercially available data to track individuals without a warrant. The company later decided not to include data from breaches in Nova after reporting.

October 2025: Flock Safety and Amazon Ring Partnership Cancellation in October 2025

In October 2025, Flock Safety announced a partnership with Amazon's Ring, allowing residents to share video data with public safety agencies. The plan was cancelled after scrutiny and an ad during Super Bowl LX that depicted the "Search Party" function.

October 2025: Flock Raven Devices Listening for "Human Distress" in October 2025

In October 2025, Flock announced that their Raven devices would begin listening for "human distress", with advertisements showing police being alerted when the device picks up on screaming.

December 2025: Flock Condor Cameras Exposed to the Open Internet in December 2025

In December 2025, 404 Media reported that Flock left at least 60 of its Condor cameras exposed to the open internet, where anyone could watch them, download 30 days worth of video archive, and change settings, see log files, and run diagnostics.

2025: Flock's Use, Funding, and City Reactions in 2025

As of 2025, Flock Safety is used by over 6,000 municipalities in the United States and has raised $950 million in venture funding, valuing the company at $7.5 billion. Some cities ceased working with Flock due to concerns over data usage in immigration enforcement and privacy.

2025: Flock Safety's Scale in 2025

As of 2025, Flock Safety reports operating in over 5,000 communities across 49 US states, processing over 20 billion vehicle scans monthly. The data collected is shared with police and integrated into predictive policing platforms.

2025: Flock Data Queried for Immigration Enforcement in 2025

In 2025, it was reported that Flock data had been queried for use in immigration enforcement. A pilot program of investigation with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations was initiated to help combat human trafficking and fentanyl distribution. Flock halted the program in August due to "confusion and concerns" about the purpose of the investigations.

2025: Reported Sharing of License Plate Reader Data with Federal Agencies in 2025

In 2025, it was reported that several state and municipal law enforcement agencies in California, despite a state law prohibiting it, had shared license plate reader data with federal agencies.

2025: Cybersecurity Flaw Found in Flock Condor Line in 2025

In 2025, researchers discovered a cybersecurity flaw allowing unauthorized access to live camera feeds and data from the Flock Condor line. Flock stated the issue affected a limited number of devices due to misconfiguration and was subsequently fixed.