Flock Safety
Presented by: Police Chief Timothy Simmons
Date: March 3, 2026
1 Requested Action
RECEIVE a presentation, APPROVE a transitional contract amendment, and PROVIDE direction to staff regarding the Flock CCTV system, Flock Drone as a First Responder (DFR) Program, and Flock Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) System
2 Financial Impact
There is no additional financial impact for either
option.
3 Why The Contract Amendment Is Needed
$575,000 Remaining contract balance
Currently $122,300 encumbered (pending invoices)
$19,000 for Port
$16,000 for Civic Center
$78,000 for Police Department (due March)
$300,000 Drone DFR payment due in November
$54,800 for Public Works/Abatement
Continue maintenance and support for the Flock CCTV and Flock DFR Drone Program
Continue the use of Flock ALPR System
4 What is Flock Safety?
Flock Safety is an American public-safety technology company that designs, manufactures, and operates camera systems, hardware, and software—most notably automated license plate readers (ALPRs), closed-circuit tv cameras (CCTV), and autonomous drone systems known as “Drone as a First Responder,” (DFR), and other safety tools used by law-enforcement agencies, neighborhoods, and private businesses.
5 Automated License Plate Reader
(ALPR)
Closed Caption Television
(CCTV)
Drone as a First Responder
(DFR)
Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR)
Flocks ALPR cameras use computer vision and machine learning to automatically capture a still photo of a vehicle license plate and related vehicle characteristics (such as make, model, color, and other distinguishing features), then provide real-time alerts and searchable databases to help law enforcement and security partners investigate, deter , and solve crime.
6 What information is captured with
Flock’s ALPR Camera?
Vehicle license plate numbers
Vehicle colors, descriptions, and unique identifiers
7 What information is NOT captured with
Flock’s ALPR system?
Does not capture any personal identifying
information, such as race, gender, etc.
Does not capture facial information (i.e., facial
recognition).
Does not capture audio.
Does not capture video.
8 Where is Flock ALPR Data Stored?
Cloud-based storage with encryption:
All data is encrypted throughout its lifecycle—from capture to transmission to cloud storage.
Hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS):
Flock specifically uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure, including AWS GovCloud for data classified under CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) standards. This type of cloud storage is designed for government compliance and security.
Customer ownership and access:
The data is owned and controlled by the local customer , such as a police department or municipality that contracts with Flock. Those customers determine who can access their data, how long it is stored, and whether it is shared, in accordance with policy and law.
9 How long is Flock data retained?
Richmond PD Police section 433 mandates that Flock data be purged every 30 days, unless one of the following
conditions is met:
1) Believe the data will become evidence in a criminal or civil action.
2) Subject to lawful discovery.
3) Subject to a lawful mandate to produce records.
*In these cases, records will be downloaded, retained, and booked into evidence. 10 Who has access to Richmond's Flock’s ALPR
system?
Sworn Personnel
Dispatchers
Crime Analyst
El Cerrito PD
11 Transparency
12 Transparency
13 Transparency
(Recommended policy updates)
Report all Flock monthly audits to the CPRC.
Report annually to the City Council (third-party auditor) 14 Flock Crime Statistics
15 Stolen vehicle reports have
increased approximately 30%
since November 2025.
Flock Crime Statistics
16 Flock Crime Statistics
17 Current Caseload Impact
18 (Impacted cases since ALPR turned off)
Who uses Flock ALPR in Contra Costa
County?
• Orinda
• Moraga
• Walnut Creek
• Clayton
• Danville
• San Ramon
• Concord
• Brentwood
• Antioch
• El Cerrito
• Hercules
• Oakly
• Pleasant Hill
• Kensington
• CCC Sheriff
• CHP
• Richmond
19 What is the status of ALPR use today?
In November 2025, the Chief of Police became aware that a previously enabled feature (National Lookup) had
created a two-way reciprocal lookup.
This feature was removed from the Flock system in
September 2025. In the spirit of transparency, the Chief directed staff to shut off the City’s ALPR system.
20 Privacy Concerns
Richmond, Richmondside news
Mountain View, KQED news
Santa Cruz, KTVU Fox 2 news
Alameda County, KTVU Fox 2 news
San Jose, NBC Bay Area news
Santa Clara County, KTVU Fox 2 news
Secure America
*Plus, other local and state privacy advocate organizations 21 Flocks' response?
Compliance with California Senate Bill 34
Updated the operating system to automatically block ALPR searches based on some specific keyword search reasons
(i.e., immigration).
Prohibits any California agencies from establishing a sharing relationship outside of California.
Prohibits any outside organization or federal organization from establishing a sharing relationship with a California agency.
22 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
23 Closed Circuit TV (CCTV)
Flock Safety CCTV cameras are closed-circuit video cameras that are mounted in fixed locations. These cameras are distinct from Flock’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras and provide continuous video surveillance intended to help law enforcement monitor and protect city assets and public safety in public spaces.
24 Closed Circuit TV (CCTV)
Do not participate in the ALPR sharing network.
Do not automatically share video footage with other
agencies.
Restricted video data to the owning agency unless
manually exported.
No reciprocal or automated sharing mechanism for CCTV data.
25 How long is CCTV video stored?
Richmond PD Police policy mandates that Flock CCTV data be purged every 30 days, unless one of the following
conditions is met:
1) Believe the data will become evidence in a criminal or civil action.
2) Subject to lawful discovery.
3) Subject to a lawful mandate to produce records.
26 Drone as a first responder (DFR)
27 Drone as a first responder (DFR)
Flock Safety’s “Drone as a First Responder” (DFR) program is a public-safety tool that uses autonomous or quickly-deployed drones to support law enforcement with rapid aerial situational awareness during active or critical incidents.
Drone as a First Responder is a tool that puts eyes in the sky—quickly—to give RPD crucial information early in critical incidents, enhancing safety and effectiveness without immediately committing ground resources. Immediate aerial response.
Live aerial video feed.
Supports decision-making and officer safety.
Documents police activity.
28 Drone as a first responder (DFR)
Mitigates the reliance on outside law enforcement helicopters. Reduces noise pollution.
Improves the visual quality of life for residents and visitors. 29 Drone as a first responder (DFR)
Contains a standard high-definition camera.
Contains a Flir camera.
Supports evacuation efforts.
Supports search and rescue efforts.
30 Why The Contract Amendment Is Needed
Pay for services that have not yet been invoiced.
Continue providing the City of Richmond with tools to protect city assets.
Continue providing the Richmond Police Department with tools to solve, combat, and deter crime.
31 Key Contract Amendment
32 Discontinuing the Flock Safety Contract
Removal of all installed ALPR cameras
Removal of all installed CCTV cameras
Removal of the DFR equipment.
33 Next Steps
Approve a contract amendment through December 31, 2026. Turn the Flock ALPR cameras on.
Continue to engage with the community regarding technology concerns.
Begin reporting Flock Safety audits to the CPRC.
Return to the City Council in December to re-evaluate the Flock Safety contract.
Evaluate and process current RFP .
34 Recommendation
Option A
RECEIVE a presentation, APPROVE a transitional
contract amendment, and PROVIDE direction to
staff regarding the Flock CCTV system, Flock Drone
as a First Responder (DFR) Program, and Flock
Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) System
35 Questions?
36 Current Upstart Cost (Flock Safety)
Flock Safety Installation Fees: $166,000
Staff Cost: $76,000 (approximate)
Future upstart expenses for a potential future system are unknown. 37 Projected Timeline for Replacement (estimated)
February 27, 2026, Request for Proposals Release Date March 3, 2026, Request for Proposals Closes
March 30th-May 30th Vendor Evaluation and Selection
July 1, 2026, Fiscal Year Closes/no Po’s
July 6, 2026, City Council Agenda
September 2026, New vendor/City permits
October 2026 Installation of New Hardware Begins
38 Property Crime Trends
39 Vehicle Theft Statistics (September 2024 to January 2025) 40