Flock IR Detection Still Needs Work

Our Take

Valleytech Custom Solutions takes a hands-on, technical look at how Flock Safety's infrared camera systems perform in real-world conditions — and the verdict, per the title alone, is that the IR detection isn't as airtight as Flock's marketing suggests. We appreciate this kind of independent testing. Most of what the public knows about these systems comes from Flock's own sales pitch to city councils, not from outside engineers actually poking at the hardware.

This matters because these cameras are being sold to police departments as dependable, always-on surveillance infrastructure, logging your plate, location, and travel patterns whether or not you've ever been suspected of a crime. If the underlying detection tech has real limitations — missed reads, false matches, inconsistent performance in different lighting — that's not just a technical footnote. It's a due-process and accountability problem, especially when those reads get fed into databases used for stops, warrants, or immigration enforcement with little independent audit.

Videos like this one do the public a service by cracking open the black box a little further. Credit to Valleytech Custom Solutions for the technical dig. If you want to see whether these cameras have already landed in your neighborhood, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back locally, our take-action page has concrete steps.