How Castle Rock Police Use Drones as First Responders to Make the Community Safer | Flock Safety
The short version: Flock's own promo video touts Castle Rock's drone-as-first-responder program, but the pitch skips the surveillance tradeoffs baked into every flight.
Our Take
Let's be clear about what this video actually is: a marketing reel produced by Flock Safety, starring a police department that bought Flock's product. That doesn't make every claim false, but it means the framing is designed to sell drones-as-first-responders (DFR) as an unambiguous win, with no independent reporter asking the hard questions about who reviews flight footage, how long it's retained, or what happens when a drone camera drifts over a backyard that has nothing to do with the 911 call that launched it.
DFR programs are the next frontier after fixed ALPR cameras, and they raise the stakes. A stationary Flock camera reads plates on a public road; a drone can hover, zoom, and follow — turning a single call for service into a roaming eye over an entire neighborhood. Castle Rock may well have thoughtful policies in place, but a two-minute company video isn't the place to find them. Real accountability comes from public council meetings, published use policies, and audits — not from a vendor's YouTube channel.
If you want to see how far this kind of infrastructure has already spread near you, check our camera map, and if you think your city council should be asking Flock harder questions before signing the next contract, our take-action page has steps to get started.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Flock, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.