Flock Safety CEO Calls for Balanced Approach to License-Plate Reader Use

Flock Safety chief Garrett Langley told Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany that the company’s automated license-plate readers, used by police in dozens of states, are a valuable tool for investigations but must be paired with stronger oversight. He said the debate should not pit privacy against safety, but seek a middle ground that protects both.

Langley noted that the technology has assisted law-enforcement in more than a million investigations and helped locate over 10,000 missing persons. He pointed to the company’s recommendation of a seven-day data-retention limit and the recent introduction of an audit-assistance tool that flags abnormal usage as steps toward greater accountability.

Opposition to the cameras has grown, with vandalism reported in New York, Minnesota, California and Illinois, and public protests such as a “Down with the Flock” sign in St. Petersburg, Florida. Lawmakers have also weighed in: Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to ban the devices, while Representative Tim Burchett has sought to cut federal funding for local deployments.

"When people talk about just one of these, privacy or safety, they're prioritizing the wrong thing, and what we have to prioritize as a country is compromise," Langley said.

"Today, it is too often that in Flock and in other technologies, there's no regulation. There's no accountability, and we think that's wrong," he added.

Langley urged state regulators to focus on enforcing accountability rather than imposing outright bans, emphasizing the need for clear rules to prevent misuse while preserving the safety benefits of the technology.