Opinion: The Scripted Squeeze: How Flock Safety Turns Police Into PR Agents

In the high-stakes game of surveillance capitalism, the most valuable asset isn't the hardware—it's the perceived legitimacy of the sale. For Flock Safety, that legitimacy is being manufactured through a calculated strategy to turn taxpayer-funded police departments into unpaid lobbyists.

As 404 Media first reported, a leaked coaching guide provided by Flock Safety instructs law enforcement on exactly how to "speak to city councils about public safety technology." The handbook is designed to help police and the company team up to secure and maintain contracts for automated license plate reader technology, even in the face of intense public backlash.

The strategy is simple: preempt the opposition. The guide urges police to "own the narrative before someone else does," suggesting that law enforcement champion the technology before citizens have the chance to voice concerns during public comment periods. Rather than waiting for a formal meeting, Flock advises agencies to brief city managers early and meet with council members before votes occur. The goal is to ensure that public comment is not the first time officials are introduced to the program.

Perhaps most revealing is the guide's approach to the concept of "mass surveillance." Rather than attempting to refute the claim—which the guide admits is a losing battle—Flock's Jamie Hudson recommends that police simply avoid the argument. Instead, they are coached to use a "carefully scripted presentation" centered on community safety, telling officials: "You care about your community. That’s why you’re bringing this in."

This isn't just about messaging; it's about obfuscation. 404 Media reports that the guide instructs police to "reframe the financial discussion" when facing questions about cost. Instead of focusing on the price of the cameras, police are told to shift the conversation toward "the cost of unresolved crime."

This push for scripted advocacy comes as Flock faces significant scrutiny. 404 Media has previously investigated several documented abuses of the system, including the use of Flock data by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in violation of state and sanctuary city laws, the use of 83,000 cameras to search for a woman who had an abortion in Texas, and instances where police used the tech to surveil protesters and stalk individuals.

Flock CEO Garrett Langley has characterized the current climate as an "era of unprecedented misinformation," a narrative the company uses to justify offering Q&A sessions for mayors and council members. However, Sarah T. Hamid, director of strategic campaigns at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, informed 404 Media that the company is effectively writing the public arguments used to justify its own hardware. Hamid argues that by treating public trust as a "messaging problem," the company keeps officials focused on abstract accountability rather than the concrete harms the network has enabled.

By outsourcing its lobbying to the police, Flock creates a dangerous asymmetry. As Hamid noted to 404 Media, the vendor controls the facts while city staff are rarely positioned to challenge them. When a police chief stands before a council to describe Flock as a "critical law enforcement system" before introducing a company employee to present, they aren't just performing a public service—they are executing a corporate script designed to bypass democratic oversight.