Flock Safety Ties Gunshot Alerts to License Plate Data, Raising Fourth Amendment Concerns

Flock Safety's Safe City bundle links acoustic gunshot detectors to license plate readers, flagging every vehicle near a detected sound, including uninvolved drivers. Contradictory court rulings leave cities without clear legal guidance, and critics urge warrant requirements, retention limits and audit rights before contract renewals.

• Safe City bundles audio detectors, ALPR cameras and video under one municipal subscription
• Detectors analyze rolling three-second audio windows and generate a nearby vehicle list on alert
• US courts split: some uphold stops from alerts, others suppress evidence from ALPR hits
• Recommended safeguards: warrants, public hearings, audit logs and deletion of uninvolved vehicles