What It Takes to Clear a Million Crimes a Year with Flock Safety's CEO

2026-03-11 · Source: The a16z Show · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Robotics & Autonomous Systems, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy · Depth: Intermediate, extended

Summary

Flock Safety, founded by Garrett Langley after a gun theft in his Atlanta neighborhood in 2017, has evolved into a comprehensive city safety platform. Now deployed in over 6,000 American cities, the company was involved in clearing over a million crimes last year. Its product suite includes license plate readers, drones, real-time 911 integration, and an AI-powered orchestration layer. This system enables rapid crime response, reducing 911 call-to-arrest times to as little as 17 minutes, and facilitates multi-agency, multi-state law enforcement coordination, historically challenging due to localized police structures and cloud data restrictions. Flock also offers solutions for corporate clients, focusing on employee and asset safety, and is exploring crime prevention initiatives.

Key takeaway

For Directors of AI/ML or city safety policymakers evaluating public safety technology, Flock Safety's integrated AI and drone platform offers a proven model for enhancing crime clearance rates and operational efficiency. Your focus should shift towards real-time data orchestration and proactive anomaly detection, moving beyond traditional reactive policing. Consider implementing systems that automate busy work for officers, allowing them to concentrate on human-centric aspects of their job, while ensuring robust data governance and constitutional guardrails are legislated.

Key insights

Flock Safety's AI-powered platform transforms reactive policing into real-time, data-driven crime resolution and prevention.

Principles

• Community safety requires integrated systems.
• Real-time data improves crime clearance rates.
• Technology can multiply law enforcement's force.

Method

Flock OS integrates city cameras, 911 calls, and AI to identify suspects (e.g., by clothing, vehicle type) and dispatch drones or officers, enabling rapid arrests and proactive anomaly detection like "cold plating" or vehicle tracking.

In practice

• Use AI for real-time 911 call analysis.
• Deploy drones for high-speed pursuits, 911 response, and search/rescue.
• Implement anomaly detection for suspicious vehicle behavior.

Topics

• Flock Safety
• Public Safety Technology
• AI in Law Enforcement
• Drone Surveillance
• Real-time Crime Fighting
• License Plate Recognition
• Law Enforcement Coordination

Best for: Investor, CTO, Executive, AI Engineer, Director of AI/ML, Policy Maker

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The a16z Show.