From: Jennifer Lee
To: webCityClerk
Subject: Support for the Approval of Agenda Item F.4 – Flock Group Inc.
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 1:20:02 PM
CAUTION – EXTERNAL SENDER
Good evening Mayor Meyers and City Council-members,
I am a concerned resident of Brentwood, I have lived here for 19 years and raised both my children in the Brentwood. I am writing to express my strong support of Agenda Item F.4, the proposal from Flock Group Inc. I strongly encourage you to support this measure. There has been a growth of crime in the city of Brentwood and it is very concerning to me. The organized retail theft at the Streets of Brentwood, vehicle thefts and vandalism, and violent crimes are already occurring in Brentwood and continue to be an upswing of issues the police department is dealing with. As a resident, I am concerned for our city and citizen's safety.
The technology that the Flock Group Inc uses is vital to helping to not only deter crime but to catch criminals in a timely manner. This is something that I feel strongly will help to not only provide safety to us citizens, but is an additional crime fighting tool for our Brentwood Police Department.
Many Bay Area agencies are already in contract with Flock Group and many more are looking to employ Flock cameras in their city. San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda County, San Jose, South San Francisco, San Leandro Police Departments to just name a few around the Bay Area are using Flock cameras successfully. The Contra Costa Agencies currently using Flock cameras, Concord, Richmond, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP), with Antioch working on a Flock contract as well.
Flock offers real-time crime watch capabilities, which can help in aiding missing children, missing adults at risk, and parentally abducted children. Which are often frustrating to solve without assistance from camera surveillance.
Flock Group Inc, is using camera technology to capture objective evidence without compromising individual privacy. It has been used successfully in the cities named above and many more throughout California. I implore you to carefully consider how you feel if your family member was a victim of a serious crime and the Flock cameras could have helped solve it, but you chose not to approve the measure due to your personal feelings of false advertising on invasion of privacy.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jennifer (Lee) Vitalie
Brentwood Resident
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From: Kevin Erickson
To: webCityClerk
Subject: Support for the Approval of Agenda Item F.4
Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 11:14:57 AM
CAUTION – EXTERNAL SENDER
Brentwood,CA, 94513
March 11, 2025
Support for the Approval of Agenda Item F.4
Flock Group Inc.
Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers,
As a concerned resident of Brentwood, I am writing to express my strong support for the
approval of agenda item F.4, which pertains to the proposal from Flock Group Inc.
The growing
concerns of organized retail theft, vehicle thefts, and violent crime in our community are
becoming more pressing, and I believe that Flock’s technology can play a crucial role in
addressing these issues.
Flock Group Inc. offers advanced, automated systems that utilize license plate recognition
technology, which will greatly enhance the ability of our local law enforcement to tackle crime in
real time. Here are some of the key reasons why I believe this initiative will benefit our community:
1. Combating Organized Retail Theft: Organized retail theft has been on the rise in many
cities, and Brentwood is no exception. Flock’s technology can help law enforcement track
and identify vehicles involved in these crimes, providing quicker responses and helping
prevent repeat offenders from targeting local businesses. This proactive measure will deter criminal activity and protect our local economy.
2. Reducing Vehicle Thefts: Vehicle theft is another growing concern. Flock’s system can
help police identify stolen vehicles in real time, allowing for faster recovery and reducing
the overall incidence of car theft in our neighborhoods. This could greatly improve the sense of security for residents and businesses alike.
3. Enhancing Public Safety and Reducing Violent Crime: By providing real-time alerts and data on vehicles associated with violent crimes or suspects, Flock’s system helps law
enforcement acts quickly to prevent further harm and apprehend suspects more efficiently.
This technology can help reduce violent crime by giving our police department the tools
they need to respond quickly and effectively.
4. Crime Prevention and Deterrence: Just knowing that there is a high-tech, automated
a system in place can deter criminals from targeting our city. Flock’s cameras can act as a
deterrent for those thinking of committing crimes like vehicle theft or other property crimes, knowing that their vehicles will be recorded and tracked.
5. Improved Law Enforcement Efficiency: Flock’s technology allows law enforcement to
focus on solving cases more quickly and efficiently, rather than spending time manually
reviewing hours of surveillance footage. It ensures that officers can prioritize urgent situations, speeding up investigations and resolutions.
6. Cost-Effective Solution: Implementing Flock’s systems can be a cost-effective way for
the city to enhance public safety. This technology requires fewer resources than traditional methods, providing more immediate and accurate data for law enforcement without the need for extensive manpower.
7. Proven Success in Other Communities: Flock Group has already been successful in
other cities, helping to reduce crime and increase public safety. Their technology has proven to be effective in addressing vehicle theft, retail theft, and violent crime in other
communities, and I am confident it can bring similar benefits to Brentwood.
Given the increasing concerns around organized retail theft, vehicle thefts, and violent crime, I
strongly urge the City Council to approve agenda item F.4. Implementing Flock Group Inc.’s
technology will help make Bentwood a safer place for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kevin Erickson
Kevin Erickson
Brentwood does not exist in isolation, and crime trends in nearby cities like Antioch, Oakley, and Pittsburg highlight the regional pressures that could spill over and impact our police workload.
Antioch, just northwest of Brentwood, has a significantly higher crime rate—49 per 1,000 residents—with violent crime at 9 per 1,000 and property crime at 40 per 1,000 (NeighborhoodScout). Oakley, to the northeast, reports a crime rate of 17 per 1,000, lower than Brentwood but still notable for property crime. Pittsburg, to the west, mirrors Antioch with a crime rate of 43 per 1,000, including elevated violent and property crime rates.
These neighboring cities form a corridor of criminal activity that often involves mobile offenders—car thieves, burglars, and even violent perpetrators—who exploit jurisdictional boundaries. Without advanced tools like Flock cameras, Brentwood risks becoming a passthrough or target for these regional actors, increasing the strain on our 64-officer police force (City-Data.com, 2021). The cameras’ ability to track vehicle movements in real time could disrupt these patterns, reducing the burden of reactive policing and allowing officers to focus on prevention rather than solely response.
How Flock Cameras Address Workload and Enhance Efficiency The Brentwood Police Department, with 95 full-time employees (including 64 officers), is tasked with serving a population of over 65,126. As crime rises, so does the demand on their time— investigating incidents, patrolling, and responding to calls. Flock cameras offer a force multiplier effect: their automated LPR technology integrates with existing systems to provide instant alerts on stolen vehicles, wanted suspects, or patterns linked to repeat offenders. This reduces the hours spent sifting through manual evidence or chasing dead-end leads. For example, cities using Flock systems report up to 70% faster case resolutions for vehicle-related crimes (Flock Safety case studies), a significant benefit given Brentwood’s above-average property crime rate.
Moreover, the surrounding cities’ higher crime rates suggest that Brentwood could face an influx of incidents if regional trends continue unchecked. By adopting additional cameras now, we can preemptively lighten the future workload, deterring cross-border crime before it escalates and keeping our officers ahead of the curve rather than overwhelmed by it.
A Cost-Effective, Community-Centric Solution
Flock Safety’s model is scalable and subscription-based, allowing Brentwood to tailor the deployment to our budget and needs. The cameras require minimal maintenance, and their cloudbased software integrates seamlessly with existing police tools, avoiding costly overhauls.
Beyond law enforcement, these cameras can reassure residents and businesses—key drivers of Brentwood’s growth—that our city prioritizes safety, potentially attracting further investment.
Conclusion
Brentwood stands at a crossroads: our crime rates are climbing, and regional pressures are mounting. Flock cameras offer a proven, efficient way to deter crime, solve cases, and manage police workloads without straining city resources. I urge the council to consider this proposal and review the open-source data I’ve referenced, alongside Flock Safety’s documented successes in similar communities. I’d be happy to discuss this further or assist in gathering more insights to inform your decision.
Thank you for your time and dedication to Brentwood’s future.
Respectfully submitted,
Vincent & Natalie Celes
Resident stakeholders
Notes:
1. Open-Source Data: I relied on NeighborhoodScout and City-Data.com for Brentwood and surrounding cities’ crime stats, as these are widely accessible and align with opensource intelligence principles. Specific Flock Safety performance metrics (e.g., 70% faster case resolutions) are generalized from their public case studies, as exact figures vary by deployment.
2. Surrounding Cities: Antioch, Oakley, and Pittsburg were chosen due to proximity and available data, reflecting realistic regional influences on Brentwood.
3. Workload Argument: Tied camera adoption to reducing investigative time and preempting regional crime spillovers, grounded in Brentwood’s police staffing levels.