Flock Safety has opened employee buyouts as governments pull its license-plate cameras and cancel contracts. Staff can apply by Oct. 2; most who accept are expected to leave by Oct. 29, with payouts in the tens of thousands and months of health coverage.
Wired reported that layoffs would be likely without the program; the offers also give employees two years to exercise vested stock options. Secure Justice said 93 cities and counties cut ties with Flock last month, while Mother Jones reported that 90 of the 214 cities that have dropped the company since 2021 did so in August. Texas paused state funding for deployments. Florida's Department of Transportation ended active permits on state highway rights of way effective Aug. 31 and gave agencies 30 days to remove the devices.
Privacy concerns and reports of misuse have also fueled resistance. Reports said officers used Flock cameras to track former romantic partners and colleagues. Wired and 404 Media reported that analysis of a dismantled camera found it captured people and bicycles as well as plate data, could scan footage for people matching written descriptions and may be built to work with drones. In an internal email, Flock said the program gives employees “greater agency” and treats them with transparency, respect and choice.
