Flock Safety Offers Buyouts as License Plate Surveillance Backlash Deepens

Flock Safety announced Friday that it will offer voluntary severance packages to employees, with the company describing them as the most generous it has ever provided. The surveillance technology startup expects a substantial portion of its 1,500-person workforce to take the offer and plans to approve buyouts for the majority of interested applicants. Without the voluntary departure program, Flock would "almost certainly" need to conduct involuntary layoffs. The move comes as the company grapples with a credibility crisis: The Washington Post documented 46 cases of police officers misusing Flock's license plate recognition system, including alleged stalking of personal contacts. Florida and Texas have halted their use of the technology, and 90 cities dropped Flock in August alone—four times the previous month's departure rate.