Axon’s Partnership with Flock Safety

Apr 02, 2020

Learn more about Axon & Flock Safety
FAQs
How soon can I get Flock Safety cameras or Fleet 3 with ALPR at my agency?

The Flock Safety solution is available now for agencies in the United States, and Fleet 3 will be available for quotes beginning in the third quarter of 2020. Interested agencies are encouraged to contact their Axon representative for more information about their bundle options.

What else can you share about Flock Safety?

Flock Safety is a crime-solving company that provides advanced and affordable security for law enforcement, as well as neighborhoods and businesses. The Flock Safety solution uses a 24-hour wireless camera designed to capture license plates in real-time, which can be used by law enforcement to investigate crime (U.S. only). Learn more at flocksafety.com.

How does Flock Safety’s ALPR technology align with Axon’s mission to protect life?

ALPR is an important tool for keeping communities safe as it can be used to help apprehend criminals, find missing persons, and recover stolen vehicles. Flock Safety’s solution perfectly complements the upcoming Axon Fleet 3 in-car video and mobile ALPR solution. By partnering with Flock Safety, Axon is making it easier and more cost-effective for police departments to deploy a network of both fixed and mobile ALPR capabilities.

How much was Axon’s investment in Flock Safety? What does the deal include?

Axon has made a minority, non-controlling investment in Flock Safety with the ability to commit additional capital over time through warrants conditional on certain partnership performance metrics. The financial terms of the investment were not disclosed and are not material relative to Axon’s cash and investments on hand as of the end of 2019.

How is Axon keeping ethics and privacy considerations integral to the development of ALPR technology?

In 2017, Axon convened an AI & Policing Technology Ethics Board to help provide guidance on responsible implementation of our AI technologies. Last year, the Board issued this report outlining some of the ethics and privacy issues associated with ALPR, and how Axon might address them. We are incorporating the Board’s recommendations into the design of Axon’s ALPR technology, which will be offered with our upcoming Fleet 3 in-car video system, and Axon has already publicly committed to never sell any public safety data. We will provide additional information closer to release about how specific product features address the Board’s recommendations.

Additionally, as part of our partnership, Flock Safety has committed to collaborating with Axon’s independent AI Ethics Board.

What privacy and ethics guardrails does Flock Safety’s solution include?

Flock Safety does 3 main things to ensure privacy:

1. The customer (police agency, private neighborhood or business) owns all imagery outright. Flock Safety never shares or sells the data.

2. All data is securely stored in the cloud and deleted automatically after 30 days, on a rolling basis.

3. In residential use, residents can join the Safe List to be marked as a resident of the community, or they can ”opt-out" of the footage to have their cars automatically removed.

Read more here: https://www.flocksafety.com/privacy

Additionally, as part of our partnership, Flock Safety has committed to collaborating with Axon’s independent AI Ethics Board.