Flock Safety: Are police departments getting ghosted by hidden costs?

The Surveillance Creep

Ever wonder how much your city is actually spending to track you? It turns out, Flock Safety—the company behind those ubiquitous license plate readers—is masterclassing the art of the "up-sell" to police departments across the country.

Take Covington, Georgia. Back in 2020, they dropped $40,000 for 20 cameras. Fast forward to 2026, and they’ve already spent $201,000 before the year is even out. It’s not just cameras anymore; it’s drones, “real-time crime centers,” and software suites that stack up faster than a Steam sale you didn’t need.

The “Price-Lock” Trap

Here’s where it gets nerdy: Flock uses classic sales tactics to get their hooks in deep. They love pushing five-year contracts by offering a “price-lock promotion.” The vibe? “Sign now or pay more later.” It creates a cycle where cities get locked into rising costs and proprietary systems that don't play nice with other tech.

In Alpharetta, Georgia, the city’s annual bill ballooned to $381,000 by 2025. Once a department integrates Flock’s software, they’re effectively married to it. As Matthew Guariglia from the Electronic Frontier Foundation notes, once police start using a tool, it is highkey impossible to get the political willpower to pull the plug.

Why it matters

It’s giving “vendor lock-in” energy, but for taxpayer dollars. While these tools are a tiny fraction of total police budgets, the long-term commitment creates an endless cycle of upgrades and maintenance fees. Real talk: taxpayers are footing the bill for a growing web of surveillance that just keeps expanding without a clear exit strategy.