Conference Presentation, Fireside Chat, Panel
Drones, Data, and Deterrence: Technology's Role in Public Safety
- Flock Safety deployed a network of cameras in Atlanta that identified a premeditated car kidnapping within hours, locating an unharmed baby, the vehicle, and the perpetrators, leading to a successful recovery.
- In Wake Forest, Flock's system identified three stolen cars, a missing child, and two automatic firearms on campus within the first 24 hours of deployment.
- Following a 911 report of an armed Jeep theft in Berkeley, Flock enabled cross-jurisdictional data sharing, alerting Palo Alto authorities who located the suspects and weapons within one hour.
- Flock Safety now operates in over 4,000 U.S. cities, covering approximately 70% of the national population, and solves roughly 10% of daily crimes (approx. 2,200 cases).
- Las Vegas Metro Police achieved a 90% clearance rate for homicides for five consecutive years, a figure significantly higher than the ~30% rate in cities like Chicago.
- Sheriff Kevin McMahill reduced crime in the historically high-crime "Boulder" area of Las Vegas by 40% through community-engagement strategies, following an initial 100% solve rate failure in his first six months.
- Las Vegas deployed gun-detection technology in casino elevator banks, resulting in the seizure of 60 handguns in a single weekend that would have otherwise been brought into the venues.
- The "Drone as First Responder" (DFR) program utilizes automated drones to respond to 911 calls and high-priority incidents before human officers arrive, effectively tripling response efficiency without adding patrol headcount.
- ShotSpotter technology in Las Vegas detected over 60 rounds fired at a high school, allowing detectives to identify two vehicles and multiple shooters before Flock cameras were officially activated for the area.
- Drones equipped with night vision are currently used for search and rescue operations in Southern Nevada canyons, reducing risks to officers compared to helicopter operations.
- Flock Safety's business model relies on a symbiotic public-private network where HOAs, corporations, and neighborhoods purchase cameras that law enforcement can access; in Las Vegas, community entities spend more on the technology than the police department.
- Flock employs a localized "rules engine" for data retention and auditing, where specific cities (e.g., Austin) enforce 7-day retention with monthly audits, while others (e.g., Dallas) utilize 1-year retention, allowing communities to self-manage privacy standards.
- Las Vegas law enforcement restricts facial recognition usage to verifying matches against booking photos in jail management systems, explicitly prohibiting its use as sole probable cause for warrants.
- The system does not engage in predictive policing; instead, it operates as a reactive tool that identifies vehicles and individuals already flagged in databases, removing subjective discretion from the initial detection phase.
- Las Vegas has reduced officer-involved shootings from 25 in 2010 to 6 in the current year, a trend Sheriff McMahill attributes to technology and training.
- Sheriff McMahill highlighted a recent incident involving 9,911 emergency calls in the first minute of a mass shooting event, identifying the critical need for AI-driven call center solutions to manage traffic and triage.
- Flock Safety and Las Vegas are pioneering a "Real-Time Crime Center" model where automated 911 triage, gunshot detection, and drone surveillance integrate to provide situational awareness within 30 seconds.
- Garrett Langley (CEO) posits that the future of public safety involves a world where crime is effectively solved before it occurs, with agencies like Elk Grove, California, achieving near-100% clearance rates for both violent and non-violent offenses.
- Community leaders in marginalized areas have become some of Flock Safety's strongest advocates, citing the technology's ability to increase police accountability and objective crime clearance.
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) invested in Flock Safety after being impressed by its role in solving high-stakes public safety cases, with partner David Yulevich leading multiple investment rounds despite initial market hesitation regarding public safety tech.