📖 Flock Safety Product Names Explained (2026)

What does Flock Safety sell?

A bundle, not just cameras. Flock's products menu groups its range into cameras and devices, drones, and software Flock products page (checked 15 Oct 2026). Cities can also buy everything at once. Flock describes its Safe City plan as "a long-term public safety subscription that gives cities every Flock product under one contract" Flock Safe City page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

For the bigger picture, including the misuse cases and the state laws, read our Flock surveillance guide. This page is the dictionary that goes with it.

Which Flock product names have changed?

Older Flock names and what Flock's own pages say now. Checked 15 October 2026.

Why names matter. Council agendas, contracts and records requests often use the older names. A city's 2023 contract may list "Falcon" and "Condor", while today's quote lists "Standard LPR" and "PTZ". We could not find a Flock document that maps each old camera model to its new name. Ask your city for the device list in its own contract.

What are Falcon, Sparrow and Condor? (cameras and plate readers)

Falcon (and Falcon Flex, SR, LR) plate reader

What Flock says: Falcon is its original license plate reader (LPR). "We launched the standard Falcon in 2017 to provide standard roadway coverage" Flock blog (18 May 2023). Falcon Flex (2021) is a portable version. Falcon SR is for short distances, such as parking lots. Falcon LR is "designed for high-speed, high-volume roadways" Flock blog (18 May 2023).

Today: the LPR page lists LPR Pro, Standard LPR, Wide-Range LPR, Long-Range LPR, Flex LPR and LPR Trailers Flock LPR page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

What researchers found: security researcher GainSec published flaws in "Falcon and Sparrow" readers in September 2025. They include development Wi-Fi credentials stored in firmware (CVE-2025-59409) and an administrative interface with no login (CVE-2025-59403). The entry for the Wi-Fi flaw said "No information on fix" GainSec (27 Sep 2025).

Sparrow plate reader

A Flock plate reader named alongside Falcon in GainSec's research, which covered both GainSec (27 Sep 2025). We found no Flock page that describes Sparrow or how it differs from Falcon.

Vehicle Signature (formerly Vehicle Fingerprint) feature

What Flock says: in 2023, Vehicle Fingerprint "catalogs unique identifying features, such as make, model, color, and any special markings or attachments" Flock blog (18 May 2023). Today's pages call it Vehicle Signature. Officers can "Search full, partial, and temporary plates, or use Vehicle Signature to generate investigative leads" Flock LPR page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

Why it matters: Flock says this generates leads from limited information Flock LPR page (checked 15 Oct 2026). So a car can be found by how it looks, not only by its plate. Our Flock guide explains why covering a plate is not a fix.

Hotlist (alerts) feature

What Flock says: agencies "Receive instant alerts when a vehicle matches a customer-defined or NCIC hot list" Flock LPR page (checked 15 Oct 2026). NCIC is the FBI's National Crime Information Center, a database of wanted people and stolen property. Agencies can also share custom hotlists Flock platform page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

What critics found: an Illinois village trustee, quoted by EFF, wrote: "According to our own Civilian Police Oversight Commission, over 99% of Flock alerts do not result in any police action" EFF (2 Oct 2025).

Enhanced LPR add-on

A paid add-on to the platform. Flock says it flags plate swaps, convoys of vehicles travelling together, and hotspots Flock platform page (checked 15 Oct 2026). We found no independent review of it.

Condor (PTZ and Bullet) video camera

What Flock says: Condor was launched in 2023 as "a groundbreaking live and recorded video subscription service that provides real-time, on-the-scene footage". It came with "30 days of accessible recorded video" Flock blog (18 May 2023). PTZ means pan-tilt-zoom: the camera can turn and zoom. Today's video page offers PTZ and fixed cameras with "People Detection Alerts" Flock video page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

What reporters found: in December 2025, 404 Media reported that at least 60 Condor PTZ cameras were live-streaming on the open internet. Anyone could watch and download 30 days of video. 404 Media also reported that, according to Flock's marketing, Condor cameras can be set to zoom in on people's faces automatically 404 Media (22 Dec 2025).

Bravo compute box

An edge computer, meaning a small computer that processes data on site rather than in the cloud. The CVE entries in GainSec's research call it a "Bravo Edge AI Compute" device, and some of the same flaws applied to it GainSec (27 Sep 2025).

Mobile Security Trailers and LPR Trailers portable

Towable units that carry cameras where there is no pole or power. Flock says they need no wiring or permits Flock products page (checked 15 Oct 2026) Flock LPR page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

Where to see these cameras near you, and what misuse cases involved them: our documented ALPR misuse cases.

What is Flock Raven? (audio and gunshot detection)

Raven (now Gunshot Detection / Audio Detection) microphone

What Flock says: Raven is a microphone placed in public areas that listens for gunshots. Its 2023 launch figures were "90% gunshot detection accuracy" and "Less than 45 seconds to dispatch" (vendor figures) Flock blog (18 May 2023). The product page now lists gunshot, sideshow (street takeover), crash and fireworks detection Flock audio page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

How Flock says it works: the device checks sound in "short rolling windows of about three seconds". Audio that does not match is not recorded. Flock says: "The system cannot understand speech, analyze language, or identify voices" Flock blog (10 Jul 2026).

What critics found: EFF calls acoustic gunshot detection an "often highly inaccurate technology" EFF (17 Jul 2026). It also asks how these microphones fit with state eavesdropping laws EFF (2 Oct 2025).

Not the same as Raven by Graylark, an AI tool that geolocates photos. See our Graylark Raven guide.

Distress Detection (removed) retired feature

What happened: in October 2025, Flock advertised: "Detect sounds of human distress and cover the blind spots that cameras miss with Distress Detection." The product image showed a police alert for "screaming" The Record (3 Oct 2025).

The wording change: after EFF's criticism, EFF noted that Flock "quietly amended the ad on this webpage to say “distress” instead of “screaming”" EFF (2 Oct 2025).

The end: in July 2026, Flock wrote: "After careful consideration and community consultation, we decided to remove the feature." Flock says it was only a limited trial for a few customers Flock blog (10 Jul 2026). EFF called this a victory but still opposes the gunshot microphones EFF (17 Jul 2026).

What are Flock Alpha, Aerodome and Drone as First Responder?

Aerodome acquired company

What Flock says: "We're excited to announce the acquisition of Aerodome, a pioneer in Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology" Flock blog (17 Oct 2024). GovTech reported that the terms were not disclosed. Aerodome was founded in 2023 and had reportedly raised $28 million GovTech (18 Oct 2024).

Today: the name survives as Flock Aerodome Software, which runs flights Flock DFR page (checked 15 Oct 2026). The menu also lists "Drone as Automated Security", with no description Flock products page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

Flock Alpha and Drone as First Responder (DFR) drone

What Flock says: a docked drone is launched remotely to a 911 call, a plate-reader hit or a gunshot alert. It streams live video to officers. Flock claims an 86-second average response, a 60 mph top speed and plate reading from 2,000 ft (vendor figures) Flock DFR page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

Introduced: in October 2024 Flock said its drones were "set to be released over the next 12 months" Flock blog (17 Oct 2024). We did not find a dated launch notice for the Alpha name.

What critics and councils said: Stockton, California approved six docked drones on 31 March 2026. The expansion was worth more than $3 million Stocktonia (8 Jun 2026). EFF's Sarah T. Hamid said drones "move from tracking cars to recording people, homes, and gatherings from the air" Stocktonia (8 Jun 2026). In Bridgeport, Connecticut, a council committee voted against recommending a two-drone Flock contract in January 2026. Flock's director of municipal engagement said customers own their data Connecticut Public via CT Mirror (14 Jan 2026).

What are FlockOS, Nova, FreeForm and OS Investigate?

FlockOS (Flock OS) platform

What Flock says: "The real-time crime center (RTCC) platform that runs anywhere, from a command center to a laptop in the field" Flock FlockOS page (checked 15 Oct 2026). A real-time crime center is a police control room that watches live feeds. FlockOS puts video, plate reads, drones, sensors and dispatch data on one map Flock FlockOS page (checked 15 Oct 2026). Flock first described it in 2023 as a platform "that seamlessly integrates first and third-party data" Flock blog (18 May 2023).

Wing retired name

Flock's 2023 name for a "3rd party camera integration suite to bring all of your evidence together" Flock blog (18 May 2023). It is not in the current product menu Flock products page (checked 15 Oct 2026). The FlockOS page now promises "Connect any vendor" Flock FlockOS page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

Flock Safety Platform software

The software that comes with every plate reader. Flock lists Vehicle Signature search, hotlists, real-time alerts, a mobile app, audit trails and the Transparency Portal Flock platform page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

FreeForm search

What Flock says: officers "Search video and vehicle evidence in plain language". Example searches include "man in blue shirt and cowboy hat" and "dark SUV with rear bumper damage". Flock states: "FreeForm does not use facial recognition or biometric person recognition" Flock FreeForm page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

What reporters found: 404 Media reported in July 2026 that police used Flock at least hundreds of times to search for specific people. One example search was "heavy-set male with a black and white hat". Some searches referred to a person's race or signs of political affiliation 404 Media (16 Jul 2026). We could not find a dated launch notice for FreeForm.

Nova (Flock Nova) people search

What was reported: in May 2025, 404 Media reported a leak about Nova, a tool to add personal data to plate reads. An employee described it as a way to "jump from LPR to person". A Slack message said it "supports 20 different data sources that agencies can toggle on or off" 404 Media (14 May 2025). Employees questioned "the ethics of using hacked data" 404 Media (14 May 2025).

Flock's response: on 30 May 2025 Flock wrote that "Nova will not supply any data purchased from known data breaches or stolen data" 404 Media (30 May 2025). Flock said Nova draws on public records, open-source intelligence, plate data and agencies' own records GovTech (30 May 2025). It called 404 Media's sources "dubious" GovTech (30 May 2025). In August 2025, a Flock post described a "Flock Nova Integration" inside FlockOS Flock blog (5 Aug 2025).

OS Investigate (earlier "Nightshift") in testing

What was reported: WIRED reported in August 2026 on an AI tool for searching by movement pattern. TNW's summary says it needs "no plate, name or crime". Of the prompts WIRED examined, "19 focus on patterns" TNW, summarising WIRED (19 Aug 2026).

Flock's response: a spokesperson said it "is in development with a small group of law-enforcement partners" and is "separate from the company's licence-plate product" TNW, summarising WIRED (19 Aug 2026). The ACLU's Chad Marlow warned that the lack of prompt limits lets police "lead the AI" TNW, summarising WIRED (19 Aug 2026). Our Flock guide covers this in depth.

Investigations Manager software

Listed in Flock's software menu, but the page we checked gave no description Flock products page (checked 15 Oct 2026). We do not know what it does.

Flock911 dispatch

What Flock says: it streams live 911 call audio and transcripts to crime centers, patrol officers and drone pilots Flock911 page (checked 15 Oct 2026). It can pair calls with plate hits, video or gunshot alerts Flock911 page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

Audit Assistance, case codes and Transparency Portal oversight

What Flock says: Audit Assistance, announced in April 2026, "continuously monitors system activity and surfaces search patterns that fall outside an agency's typical usage" Security Systems News (14 Apr 2026). In August 2026, Flock said it will "require case codes for all law enforcement searches by the end of the year". Audit Assistance becomes mandatory on the same timeline Flock blog (13 Aug 2026). The Transparency Portal is a public page an agency can publish. Flock says "More than 1,500 agencies" have one Flock blog (13 Aug 2026).

For how police describe their own use of these tools, see our police ALPR statements tracker.

How does Flock share data between agencies, HOAs and businesses?

National LPR Network sharing

What Flock says: "The nation's largest connected LPR network", spanning 49 states. Customers "stay in control of how their data is shared and accessed" Flock network page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

How sharing works: the ACLU of Massachusetts says agencies can share "with specific named departments, with all departments in their state, or with the entire Flock network nationwide." It adds: "To share their data with police nationwide, all an administrator needs to do is click a button" ACLU of Massachusetts (25 Sep 2026).

What investigations found: EFF reported in May 2025 that a Texas officer searched more than 83,000 cameras across 6,809 networks. The stated reason was "had an abortion, search for female" EFF (30 May 2025). The sheriff and Flock later said the woman was a missing person, which EFF disputes EFF (7 Oct 2025). Since August 2026, Flock says cities can limit which offence types other agencies may search for Flock blog (13 Aug 2026).

Business and HOA cameras private customers

What Flock says: HOAs can buy plate readers, video cameras and gunshot detection. "Law enforcement only gains access if your HOA opts in" Flock HOA page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

What reporters found: 404 Media reported in August 2025 that a Texas sheriff's office could search Flock cameras at 173 Lowe's locations. It could also tap cameras and gunshot microphones at dozens of Home Depot stores in Texas. Flock told 404 Media that cameras run by private companies have more restrictive sharing options 404 Media (6 Aug 2025).

Ring Community Requests integration (cancelled) retired plan

A planned link between Flock and Amazon Ring's Community Requests, which lets Ring owners share video with police voluntarily. The companies cancelled it in February 2026. Amazon said: "The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety" Security Systems News (13 Feb 2026).

Several cities have left Flock for other vendors; our Flock-to-Axon vendor swap analysis compares what changes when they do.

How do the pieces connect?

One event can touch every product. A plate reader logs a passing car and checks it against hotlists Flock LPR page (checked 15 Oct 2026). A match, a gunshot alert or a 911 call can trigger a DFR drone flight Flock DFR page (checked 15 Oct 2026). Flock911 streams the call audio to the drone pilot Flock911 page (checked 15 Oct 2026). FlockOS shows all of it on one live map Flock FlockOS page (checked 15 Oct 2026).

Afterwards, officers can search past footage with FreeForm Flock FreeForm page (checked 15 Oct 2026). If the agency shares through the National LPR Network, officers in other states may run searches over the same local cameras ACLU of Massachusetts (25 Sep 2026). Nova was built to link those vehicle records to people 404 Media (14 May 2025). That chain is why critics focus on sharing settings and audit logs, not on any single camera.

Sources

Every source was read on 15 October 2026. Flock pages are vendor material: their figures are company claims, not independent tests. The ACLU of Massachusetts is an advocacy group and is cited for what it says.

1. Flock Safety — Products overview and menu (read 15 Oct 2026)
2. Flock Safety — License Plate Readers product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
3. Flock Safety — Video Cameras product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
4. Flock Safety — Audio Detection / Gunshot Detection product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
5. Flock Safety — Flock DFR (Drone as First Responder) product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
6. Flock Safety — FlockOS product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
7. Flock Safety — Flock FreeForm product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
8. Flock Safety — Flock911 product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
9. Flock Safety — National LPR Network product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
10. Flock Safety — Flock Safety Platform product page (read 15 Oct 2026)
11. Flock Safety — Safe City Subscription page (read 15 Oct 2026)
12. Flock Safety — HOAs industry page (read 15 Oct 2026)
13. Flock Safety blog — Q2 2023 product announcement: new LPR, Raven and Condor (18 May 2023)
14. Flock Safety blog — "Flock Safety expands into drones for law enforcement with acquisition of Aerodome" (17 Oct 2024)
15. Flock Safety blog — "The Evolution of FlockOS" (5 Aug 2025)
16. Baily Quintrell, Flock Safety blog — "How Flock's Gunshot Detection Works, and the Concerns We Hear Most" (10 Jul 2026)
17. Garrett Langley, Flock Safety blog — "Flock Updates Privacy, Accountability, Security, and Transparency Safeguards" (13 Aug 2026)
18. Flock Safety — "License Plate Reader Cameras: How LPR Technology Works" (updated 13 Aug 2026)
19. GovTech — "Flock Safety Buys a Drone Company, Prepares Product Launch" (18 Oct 2024)
20. Suzanne Smalley, The Record — "License plate reader company Flock launches new product that detects human voices" (3 Oct 2025)
21. Matthew Guariglia, EFF — "Flock's Gunshot Detection Microphones Will Start Listening for Human Voices" (2 Oct 2025, updated)
22. Matthew Guariglia, EFF — "Victory! Flock Ends Rollout of Audio 'Distress Detection' of Human Voices" (17 Jul 2026)
23. Rindala Alajaji, EFF — "She Got an Abortion. So A Texas Cop Used 83,000 Cameras to Track Her Down" (30 May 2025)
24. Dave Maass and Rindala Alajaji, EFF — "Flock Safety and Texas Sheriff Claimed License Plate Search Was for a Missing Person. It Was an Abortion Investigation." (7 Oct 2025; read 16 Oct 2026)
25. Joseph Cox, 404 Media — "License Plate Reader Company Flock Is Building a Massive People Lookup Tool, Leak Shows" (14 May 2025; partly paywalled)
26. Joseph Cox and Jason Koebler, 404 Media — "Flock Decides Not to Use Hacked Data in People Search Tool" (30 May 2025)
27. Thad Rueter, GovTech — "Flock Safety Pushes Back on Data Breach Product Criticism" (30 May 2025)
28. Joseph Cox, 404 Media — "How Cops Use Flock to Track People, Not Cars" (16 Jul 2026; partly paywalled)
29. Jason Koebler, 404 Media — "Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves" (22 Dec 2025; partly paywalled)
30. Jason Koebler, 404 Media — "Home Depot and Lowe's Share Data From Hundreds of AI Cameras With Cops" (6 Aug 2025; partly paywalled)
31. Ana Maria Constantin, TNW — "Flock built an AI tool that lets police search for people by how they drive" (19 Aug 2026; summarises WIRED reporting by Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron)
32. GainSec — "Fly-By Device #2: The Falcon/Sparrow" vulnerability write-up (27 Sep 2025)
33. ACLU of Massachusetts — "Get the Flock Out" resource guide (updated 25 Sep 2026; advocacy group)
34. Security Systems News — "Amazon Ring and Flock Safety cancel partnership" (13 Feb 2026)
35. Security Systems News — "Flock Safety introduces Audit Assistance tool for accountable public safety technology" (14 Apr 2026)
36. Andrea Baltodano, Stocktonia — "Stockton approved Flock drones. Here's what the system is — and why it has drawn scrutiny elsewhere" (8 Jun 2026)
37. Eddy Martinez, Connecticut Public via CT Mirror — "Bridgeport Police Dept. drone proposal faces opposition" (14 Jan 2026)

Related Tools & Guides

Flock Surveillance Guide Documented ALPR Misuse Cases Police ALPR Statements Flock-to-Axon Vendor Swap Raven by Graylark (not Flock) Surveillance Tech Records Requests