Flock Safety Expands Drones Amid Privacy Concerns

Flock Safety, the surveillance technology company known for its nationwide network of automated license plate readers, is aggressively expanding into drones, a move CEO Garrett Langley says represents its fastest-growing business segment. Speaking on the AllIn podcast in an interview released on August 18, Langley indicated that the drone program is expected to account for nearly half of the company's forward-looking revenue. This pivot comes as Flock faces intense scrutiny and backlash over privacy concerns and misuse allegations related to its core camera products.

The company's new offering is branded "Drone as First Responder," or DFR. The technology dispatches a drone to the scene of a 911 call ahead of responding officers, streaming live aerial video back to dispatchers. Flock says the system can arrive in an average of 86 seconds and resolve 20% of calls without an officer being sent. Langley presented the technology as a critical tool for officer and civilian safety, recounting a case near Dallas-Fort Worth where a drone revealed a reported gun was actually a large lighter, potentially preventing a deadly escalation.

Flock Safety has signed more than 200 DFR customers,...