Flock Safety's Expanding Costs for Cities Revealed
Documents show that contracts with surveillance technology firm Flock Safety can lead to significantly escalating costs for cities over time. Initial investments in cameras and services grow substantially, placing long-term financial burdens on taxpayers.
Surveillance technology provider Flock Safety's agreements with municipalities are proving to be more costly than initially anticipated. Newly obtained documents reveal a pattern where initial contracts for cameras and data services escalate significantly over several years, leading to substantial, ongoing expenses for taxpayers.
In Covington, Georgia, the police department's spending on Flock cameras rose from $40,000 in 2020 for 20 cameras to $113,225 in 2024 for 35 cameras. By August of 2026, the city had already paid $201,000 for camera maintenance and new software products. Similarly, Alpharetta, Georgia, saw its annual Flock bill balloon to $381,000 by 2025, partly due to integrating with existing systems from homeowner associations.
Founded in 2017, Flock Safety initially sold license plate readers to private homeowner associations before expanding to police departments in 2019. This strategy allowed law enforcement agencies to tap into existing camera networks, often paving the way for future service expansions and increased spending.
Experts like Matthew Guariglia of the Electronic Frontier Foundation note the political difficulty in removing surveillance tools once deployed. As these costs become more apparent, cities nationwide are scrutinizing their contracts with Flock Safety amid growing concerns about long-term financial commitments and surveillance practices.