What It Takes to Clear a Million Crimes a Year with Flock Safety's CEO

Garrett Langley’s neighborhood in Atlanta had a problem: someone stole a gun from a car, and the police came, shrugged, and left. No fingerprints, no investigation. Langley, an electrical engineer, built a camera to track every car entering the neighborhood. Two months later, another gun was stolen. He handed police a single plate — the only car that didn't belong. Hours later, an arrest. That prototype became Flock Safety, now deployed in more than 6,000 American cities. Last year, the company helped clear over a million crimes. The product has grown from license plate readers to drones, 911 integration, and an AI layer that turns city safety into a real-time operating system.

From Neighborhood Project to National Network

Langley’s original insight was that every security system was focused on the individual — it tells you a crime has happened, but it doesn't help solve it. What he wanted was a safety system for a community. The first camera tracked every car entering his neighborhood. After 30 days, the system could distinguish residents from outsiders. When a second gun theft occurred, he handed police the single plate that didn't belong. Hours later, an arrest. That prototype became Flock Safety.