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Surveillance Patent Shows Flock Spying Way Worse Than Advertised

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Flock Safety’s own patent reveals that its spying capabilities are far worse than advertised, undercutting the company’s and its defenders’ claims that Flock cameras are simply license plate readers.

The backlash against the Flock surveillance system has been swift and, in many cases, highly effective, with activists and citizens forcing states, counties, and law enforcement agencies to end their contracts with the company. As more and more counties cut ties, Flock has been forced to defend its technology on the grounds that it is a useful tool, not as intrusive as its critics make it out to be, and with new “safeguards” in place, they can crack down on police officers who abuse the system.

But Flock’s patent reveals a system more powerful than the company lets on in public statements.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Flock’s patent, “System and method for object based query of video content captured by a dynamic surveillance network,” in Aug. 2022. The patent names Flock’s current CEO, Garrett Langley, and Flock co-founder Matt Feury as the inventors.

Although Flock’s Frequently Asked Questions claim its technology is “not a live-tracking system” and that each image captured by cameras is a “standalone vehicle event,” the patent shows the system was built to do the opposite. (Read more from “Surveillance Patent Shows Flock Spying Way Worse Than Advertised” HERE)

Cop Allegedly Fired For Using Flock Camera To Run Her Ex’s License Plate 166 Times

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A female police officer in South Carolina was fired on Aug. 3 after she allegedly used a Flock camera to run her ex-significant other’s license plate over 100 times.

Ellie Anna Hammond, 24, was fired from the Maudlin Police Department (MPD) following allegations of misconduct between March and July, according to documents from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy cited by KOCO. Hammond allegedly ran her ex-romantic partner’s license plate 166 times during this time period, claiming she was performing a warrant check, traffic infraction, and welfare check, which proved not true, as the same documents indicate.

She has not been criminally charged in connection with the incident, and an MPD spokesperson told KOCO they would not comment further on her termination as it was a “personnel matter.”

Hammond joined the police force in June 2024 when she was hired as part of the Uniform Patrol division, according to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. She completed her training and passed a psychological evaluation at the time.

The incident follows an Aug. 4 incident in which the Winona Police Department in Minnesota announced that all eight of the city’s Flock cameras had allegedly been stolen. Officers discovered the poles chopped down and discarded in nearby weeds, while the cameras remained missing. Flock cameras were also apparently vandalized in July in Ashland County, Ohio, according to FOX 8. (Read more from “Cop Allegedly Fired For Using Flock Camera To Run Her Ex’s License Plate 166 Times” HERE)