Of all the ways artificial intelligence is impacting everyday life, perhaps none have drawn more attention than the use of cameras in public spaces. Flock Safety knows this all too well. The company develops license plate readers (LPRs), which use cameras to record roadways and AI models to analyze basic vehicle information. With more than 120,000 of these cameras across 49 U.S. states, Flock’s technology has become an essential tool for law enforcement investigations.
Flock Cameras, Explained
Flock cameras are license plate readers that record a vehicle’s color, make and model, as well as the time and location of its sighting. Motion sensors capture still images, while machine learning models process visual data to identify license plates from all 50 U.S. states. These cameras are also internet-connected, meaning they can communicate with each other as part of a network that is particularly useful for tracking vehicles wanted in police investigations.
At the same time, Flock finds itself at the center of discussions around digital privacy as its network of LPRs becomes associated with widespread surveillance rather than public safety. We’re taking a closer look at what Flock is, how its cameras work, how they’re used and where they stand in the court of public opinion.
What Is Flock Safety?
Flock Safety bills itself as a “connected public safety platform” that helps users quickly find vehicle data. The company is known for developing software, video cameras and license plate readers that record the time and location of a vehicle sighting, along with the vehicle’s basic details. This information is designed to aid law enforcement, enabling them to find leads faster and move investigations forward.
Besides technology that compiles vehicle data, Flock designs audio systems that can detect gunshots, fireworks, street takeovers and car crashes, and has begun experimenting with drones in both public security and first-responder settings. The product that has garnered the most attention, though, is its license plate readers.
What Are Flock Cameras?
Flock cameras are license plate readers that identify a vehicle’s make, model and color, while also noting when and where the camera spots the vehicle. These LPRs use an internet connection to communicate with each other and exchange information. By employing a shared network, authorities can more easily track vehicles wanted in investigations and respond to real-time alerts when vehicles match entries on hotlists.
But Flock’s cameras are even more powerful when paired with the company’s platforms. For instance, Flock FreeForm lets users enter natural-language searches to scan networks of LPRs or video cameras for vehicles or persons of interest. Customers can tap the networks of others who opt in to data sharing as well, casting an even wider search that can rapidly generate leads and narrow down investigations.
That said, Flock emphasizes that its license plate readers specifically do not use facial recognition and are designed strictly for tracking vehicles. Its LPRs do not permanently hold data, either, automatically deleting all information after seven days unless this practice violates local laws. A customer may also request to store the data longer through the appropriate legal channels.
How Do Flock Cameras Work?
Flock cameras use motion sensors to capture still frames of vehicles. As for deciphering a vehicle’s attributes, that’s where machine learning comes into play. Flock pre-trains machine learning models on license plates from all 50 U.S. states, incorporating plates with undersized and stacked letters for variety. Together, the sensors and models can track vehicles and discern their traits, creating a vehicle “fingerprint.”
When these models process an image of a vehicle, they generate a confidence score that reflects how reliable the information is. Flock’s system then takes these scores into account when searching databases for vehicle matches. It prioritizes high-confidence scores, while filtering out low-confidence ones. This way, the system reduces the chances of sending inaccurate alerts to law enforcement based on weak data.
Flock also relies on natural language processing for its FreeForm platform, which understands plain-language inputs to retrieve relevant vehicle information. And the company has used AI models to support even more intelligent capabilities, such as detecting swapped plates and tracking the same plate across multiple states. From its LPRs to its underlying software, Flock has built AI into its entire process to produce an efficient vehicle search engine.
What Are the Benefits of Flock Cameras?
A major reason Flock is spreading across the United States is because of its convenience. Customers sign up for a subscription plan that covers the initial installation, any unexpected maintenance, software updates and IT support. Flock cameras also mostly use solar energy and a long-term evolution (LTE) network connection to operate, so they can be quickly set up without investing in additional infrastructure.
After taking just hours to install, Flock license plate readers can begin compiling data, which is encrypted and controlled by customers — not Flock. That means users get to decide who can access and share their data, offering a personalized experience that’s relatively cost-efficient and low-maintenance compared to traditional options.
How Are Flock Cameras Used?
A range of industries are employing Flock license plate readers to aid their daily operations. Here are just a few examples:
- Investigation Support: Flock LPRs can be used to generate leads and accelerate investigations involving wanted vehicles. For instance, South Carolina deputies used Flock’s cameras to find a kidnapped mother and son.
- Crime Prevention: Flock LPRs send alerts when flagged vehicles enter neighborhoods, so customers can better secure packages and vehicles. Retailers can also stay prepared by receiving warnings when vehicles used in past crimes enter their parking lots.
- Traffic Management: Traffic operators can compile vehicle data from Flock cameras to identify general trends, understand traffic flow and coordinate with construction crews, law enforcement and other stakeholders to minimize congestion.
- Event Security: Flock uses “mobile security trailers” to transport its LPRs and establish an event perimeter. They can alert event planners of vehicles exhibiting dangerous behavior and keep an eye on attendees’ vehicles to deter theft.
- School Safety: Flock’s LPRs and mobile security trailers enable school administrators to manage crowded areas like drop-off and pickup spots and monitor larger campuses. They send timely alerts of suspicious vehicle activity, such as loitering.
- Disaster Response: Flock LPRs can track vehicles entering and leaving evacuation zones, helping agencies allocate their resources accordingly. Because they’re solar- and LTE-powered, Flock cameras can remain on during natural disasters as well.
Flock Cameras in the News
Despite being designed for public safety, Flock has become ensnared in debates around personal privacy. Police officers have reportedly used the company’s cameras to extralegally surveil people they’re interested in romantically, political activists and immigration targets. A Texas sheriff’s deputy even searched a network of 83,000 Flock cameras to hunt down a woman who had an abortion in another state. Concerned that Flock’s technology is being used for social surveillance, individuals across the country have taken measures to obstruct or destroy the cameras.
In response to this public backlash, Flock announced that it would require all law enforcement customers to adopt its “Audit Assistance” feature, which detects unusual activity across Flock products and sends alerts for further review. Flock also notes that it doesn’t have any contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Palantir, a tech company known for its military intelligence tools.
It’s not clear, though, exactly how Audit Assistance works, leaving doubts around whether Flock can effectively prevent bad actors from accessing its platforms. And in a nation already anxious about AI, it may be difficult for Flock to separate its technology from the public discourse surrounding national surveillance and government overreach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Flock Safety?
Flock Safety is a company that builds software and products to identify vehicles and persons of interest for public safety. It’s best known for its license plate readers (LPRs), which are cameras that gather basic vehicle info and record the time and location of a vehicle sighting. They’re most commonly used by law enforcement to accelerate investigations.
How do Flock license plate readers work?
Flock license plate readers use motion sensors to capture images of vehicles. Machine learning models pre-trained on license plates from all 50 U.S. states then analyze these images, identifying a vehicle’s color, make and model, among other details. Because Flock LPRs are connected to the internet, they can exchange information with each other, forming a network that can easily track a vehicle’s whereabouts.
Do Flock cameras use facial recognition?
Flock says that its license plate readers do not use facial recognition or biometric data and are used just to track vehicles. While Flock’s video cameras can identify an individual’s clothing, they were never intended to track people or their faces.
How are Flock cameras used outside of police investigations?
While Flock cameras often aid police in finding vehicles as part of investigations, they’re also used for the following:
- Identifying trends in traffic flow to help traffic operators coordinate with different stakeholders to relieve congestion.
- Monitoring event perimeters and alerting security personnel when dangerous vehicle behavior is detected.
- Patrolling school grounds and campuses to secure crowded areas and warn administrators of any unusual vehicle activity.
- Tracking vehicles entering and exiting an evacuation zone, so agencies can properly allocate resources during emergency responses.
- Letting communities know when flagged vehicles are in the area, signaling to watch out for vehicle or package theft.
Are Flock cameras constitutional?
Flock cameras are considered constitutional — a decision that Flock points out was reached in the case Schmidt v. City of Norfolk. That said, Flock’s cameras have faced fierce backlash after reportedly being used by police to track political activists, immigration targets, abortion-seekers and romantic interests. Flock has responded by establishing stricter rules for law enforcement customers to follow, although it’s unclear how these rules will be enforced.
Who can buy Flock cameras?
According to Flock, its cameras and license plate readers are available only to government agencies, businesses, private neighborhood associations, religious organizations and other groups. Flock’s technology is not intended for individual use.
