Does Flock Actually Solve Crime?

Our Take

Let's start with the obvious: this video comes straight from Flock's own channel, not an independent journalist or researcher. When the company that sells the cameras is the one grading its own homework, a few flattering numbers about San Diego, San Francisco, and missing persons cases aren't proof of anything — they're a sales pitch. Real answers to 'does this reduce crime' require peer-reviewed studies, before-and-after controls, and audits from people who don't profit when the answer is yes.

Even if some of these numbers are accurate, they dodge the actual debate. Nobody disputes that scanning every plate that passes a camera will occasionally turn up a hit. The question is whether that benefit justifies building a permanent, searchable record of where every driver in a city goes, retained by a private company and shared across thousands of police agencies with little oversight. Crime stats without context on false positives, racial profiling incidents, data breaches, and mission creep aren't a full picture — they're marketing copy dressed up as public safety data.

We'd rather you look at what's actually happening in your own neighborhood than take a corporate video's word for it. Check our camera map to see how much Flock coverage already exists near you, and visit take action if you want to push your city council for real transparency before renewing these contracts.