Flock Safety is offering voluntary separation packages to employees as the surveillance tech company faces a wave of customer departures and mounting criticism over privacy concerns.
The program, detailed in an internal email, opened Friday and allows employees until October 2 to opt-in for a "generous" severance deal. Flock anticipates approving buyouts for most applicants, with insiders suggesting a significant portion of its approximately 1,500 employees might take the offer.
This move comes as Flock continues to lose clients due to widespread public frustration over its widespread network of license plate readers. Recent reports have highlighted alleged misuse of the technology, including officers tracking ex-partners, and revealed the extensive data Flock cameras collect and how access to the system is shared among agencies.
Founded in 2017 and valued at over $8 billion after an April funding round, Flock has seen numerous contracts terminated this year, potentially impacting revenue goals. The company is also dealing with increased expenses due to vandalism targeting its cameras. Without voluntary buyouts, layoffs would likely have been necessary.
Flock described the severance program internally as providing employees with "greater agency" and being the company's "most generous" offer to date, approximately doubling previous packages. The deal includes several months of healthcare coverage and extended stock option exercise periods. Employees will be notified of their acceptance status by October 9, with most departures planned for October 29.
Some employees are reportedly considering the buyouts amidst speculation that Flock might need to sell assets or the entire company to remain solvent. CEO Garrett Langley acknowledged last month that the backlash has significantly damaged "internal morale," as the company struggles to understand the public's strong negative reaction to its long-standing practices.
The exodus of customers is significant, with one advocacy group identifying 93 city and county governments that cut ties with Flock in August alone. Overall, local governments have dropped Flock at roughly three times the rate seen in the previous five years. Meanwhile, Flock has been expanding its offerings beyond license plate readers, developing AI-powered investigative software and tools for searching camera feeds based on descriptions, with potential integrations for drones and other surveillance systems.
