What are ‘Flock’ cameras, and why are hundreds coming to California?

The California Highway Patrol announced its first-ever arrest with the aid of a Flock Safety camera, and suspect identification in the state will likely never be the same.

In a news release Friday, the CHP said that the camera aided in the search for a person suspected in a non-fatal shooting on the Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco and Oakland in the Bay Area. The suspect’s vehicle was captured on a Flock camera near Treasure Island, which sits between the two cities.

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After looking at the Flock data, officers quickly obtained the suspect vehicle’s license plate number. The driver, 42-year-old Adrian Martinez Emerson of San Pablo, was found just hours later, and a gun was found in his car, according to the CHP.

It’s hard to say whether Emerson would have been located without the cameras. Hundreds of them are being placed in Oakland and on freeways in the East Bay, and perhaps a statewide expansion could be on its way in the future.

What is a Flock Safety Camera?

Flock Safety cameras are being used by many police departments and for private use nationwide. While license plate reading cameras are nothing new in the law enforcement realm, Flock maintains a database of information that includes vehicles’ color, make, model and even identifiers like decals and stickers.

The database that registers the vehicle information is searchable from a cloud network. However, in the case of the program being run in Oakland, information is available for only 28 days, and the state has vowed that only law enforcement will have access.

“Through new state-of-the-art technology and the deployment of officers, California is doubling down in our efforts to keep our communities safe,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “I thank the California Highway Patrol and allied agencies for their persistent work to secure accountability in this case and help ensure that Californians are safe and secure.”

Governor Gavin Newsom previously announced the purchase of the cameras to combat Oakland’s growing crime problem. In total, 480 cameras were purchased to be placed around the city and on freeways.

Other California local governments like San Rafael of the North Bay have recently installed the tech.

“Imagine if a detective was standing on the street corner, that’s how the camera works,” said Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock Safety told KTLA’s Rich DeMuro in 2019.

As of Friday, there’s no word on when or if Newsom plans to expand purchases to cover more crime-ridden cities in the state, or even if it could become a state-wide practice.

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