Artificial Intelligence

AI Surveillance Startup Says it Can End Crime in America

Published SEP 3 2025

Story

Image credit: Osmancan Gurdogan/Anadolu/Getty Images

The Facts

CEO of AI startup Flock Safety, Garrett Langley, has predicted that the company will bring near-total U.S. crime eradication within 10 years, saying that its cameras help solve about 1 million crimes yearly, aiding 100% homicide solve rates in Tulsa, Okla., and Cobb County, Ga., while helping dismantle trafficking rings in Detroit.
Flock Safety
Forbes
Flock runs more than 80,000 AI license plate reader cameras nationwide, tracking plates, makes and features to build a searchable police database. Valued at $7.5 billion, it serves over 5,000 agencies in 49 states with a projected 2024 revenue of $300 million.
Techdirt
Forbes
Police use Flock cameras to track stolen cars, identify fleeing suspects and find missing persons through a nationwide license plate database. Each camera costs $3,000–$3,500 plus FlockOS fees, with some cities like Dunwoody, Ga., paying about $500,000 yearly.
GovTech
Forbes
Flock offers AI tools like FreeForm Search, letting officers find vehicles with plain descriptions such as "blue SUV with racing stripe," plus features to detect plate swaps, interstate movements and crime hotspots. Its Nova platform merges police records with public data, like Social Security numbers and credit histories, into searchable AI databases.
Forbes
Flock Safety
It also serves 1,000 corporate clients, including FedEx, Lowe's and Home Depot, with 171 hardware stores using its cameras in parking lots. Businesses, schools and housing groups can also share feeds with police, expanding surveillance beyond public cameras.
Take Back Our Tech
Forbes
Meanwhile, the Illinois Attorney General is probing Flock for allegedly letting border agents access state plate data for immigration and abortion cases, while privacy advocates and the ACLU warn of mass surveillance, and cities like Austin, Denver, Norfolk and San Diego push back.
Techdirt
GovTech
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The Spin

Techno-optimist narrative

Flock Safety's cameras are revolutionizing U.S. crimefighting, solving millions of crimes yearly. From busting ATM gangs to preempting armed threats, it empowers local cops to safeguard events and communities. Its vision of eradicating crime via drones, AI insights and community investments balances safety with liberties, potentially making America crime-free while boosting quality of life.

Flock Safety

Forbes

Techno-skeptic narrative

Flock Safety is creating a dystopian mass-surveillance network, tracking everyone's vehicle, not just criminals', across the country. Sharing data with police and federal agencies is also a recipe for disaster, eroding privacy and civil liberties. Unlike targeted ALPR use, Flock's system retains data indefinitely, enabling unchecked monitoring. Communities must resist or regulate it to protect their freedoms.

Wapt 16

Techdirt