Dissection of Flock Safety Camera

 License plate readers  No Responses »
Apr 302022
 

Flock Safety is marketing its cameras to neighborhood groups and law enforcement with the promise to “reduce crime in your community by up to 70%.” Instead of selling these cameras, it leases them for about $2,500 per month. The cameras can be powered with solar panels and transmit data via a cellular modem so no extra wiring is needed. Note that the version we dissected is an older version and the modem is no longer being sold. Although the cameras capture images that include the license plates of vehicles, they are triggered by a motion detection sensor and will likely capture an image of anything that triggers the motion detector, including people, bicycles, etc.

Annotated view of the front of Flock Safety camera showing motion detection sensor, camera, and LEDs
Annotated photo of Flock Safety camera showing the motion detection sensor, LEDs and 16mm IR 1/2″ lens
After opening the Flock Safety camera
After opening the Flock Safety camera, the biggest item is the PHD Energy rechargeable lithium ion battery
NimbeLink Skywire LTE cellular modem in Flock Safety camera
NimbeLink Skywire LTE cellular modem inside Flock Safety camera
Lantronix SD624 Audio Kit SOM inside Flock Safety camera
Lantronix SD624 Audio Kit SOM inside Flock Safety camera
Taoglas AP.17E GPS module inside Flock Safety camera
Taoglas AP.17E GPS module inside Flock Safety camera
LEDs and motion detection sensor in Flock Safety camera
LEDs and motion detection sensor in Flock Safety camera
Another view of LEDs and motion detection sensor in Flock Safety camera
Another view of LEDs and motion detection sensor in Flock Safety camera
5MP 16mm Fixed M12 1/2 Inch IR Filter Action Camera Lens in Flock Safety camera
5MP 16mm Fixed M12 1/2 Inch IR Filter Action Camera Lens in Flock Safety camera
Back of Flock Safety camera showing antenna connector for cellular modem and connector for solar panel
Back of Flock Safety camera showing antenna connector for cellular modem and connector for solar panel

Here’s the list of component parts that we were able to identify:



Who’s Looking at Your License Plate Data

 License plate readers  No Responses »
Jan 152022
 

There are 32 agencies that submit license plate reader data to the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC), the regional fusion center for Northern California. However, many more agencies are able to access that data once it has been sent to the NCRIC. According to records received in response to a public records request, 71 agencies queried the NCRIC license plate database between February 21 and March 21, 2021. While the agencies looking up license plates at the NCRIC are generally law enforcement agencies located in Northern California, a few of these agencies may stand out as somewhat unusual. The […]

Why police search for license plates

 License plate readers  No Responses »
Jan 032022
 
Why police search for license plates

Although some law enforcement agencies publish data on the number of license plates photographed by license plate readers, few provide information on why police search for license plates. According to a document released by the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center, (NCRIC) the most common search in October 2021 was related to “Locate Stolen, Wanted, or Suspect Vehicles.” When law enforcement agencies search NCRIC’s license plate database, they select one of six reasons for why they are searching for a license plate in the database: Locate Stolen, Wanted, or Suspect Vehicles Locate Suspect(s) of Criminal Investigation or Arrest Warrant Locate Witnesses […]

Anaheim Police Buy a $755,000 Nyxcell Cell Site Simulator

 Cell site simulator  No Responses »
Oct 162020
 
Anaheim Police Buy a $755,000 Nyxcell Cell Site Simulator

With Harris Corporation no longer selling its cell site simulators to local law enforcement, Anaheim has joined a growing list of police departments replacing them with cell site simulators manufactured by Nyxcell and KeyW. At a meeting of the Anaheim City Council on June 9, 2020, the Anaheim City Council approved the $755,000 purchase of a Nyxcell cell site simulator (CSS) from Tactical Support Equipment by a vote of 6-0-1, with Councilmember Jose Moreno abstaining because he felt he needed to learn more about how the CSS was used in the past. Although the name of the cell site simulator […]

Low Crime San Ramon Approves Massive Surveillance Increase

 License plate readers, Video surveillance  1 Response »
Aug 162020
 
Low Crime San Ramon Approves Massive Surveillance Increase

San Ramon, a small city in Contra Costa County with a very low crime rate, approved spending more than $1.2 million to blanket the city in automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and surveillance cameras at its April 28, 2020, meeting. The amount includes 12 stationary ALPRs at five locations from Vigilant Solutions, 35 ALPRs from Flock Safety and 46 Avigilon surveillance cameras. Eight police vehicles are already equipped with Vigilant ALPRs and Flock Safety cameras are already installed at the intersection of Camino Ramon and Crow Canyon and the northeast intersection of Crow Canyon Boulevard and Crow Canyon Place. According […]

The Surveillance Gear of Bay Area Law Enforcement Aircraft

 Video surveillance  No Responses »
Jun 272020
 
The Surveillance Gear of Bay Area Law Enforcement Aircraft

Police aircraft are frequently spotted circling around peaceful protests around the country. These aircraft are typically equipped with high-powered cameras with equipment capable of recording and transmitting the video captured by the equipment. This article focuses on law enforcement aircraft used in the San Francisco Bay Area. At a protest one week after San Leandro Police shot and killed Steven Taylor on April 18, 2020, an Oakland Police helicopter with the tail number N220PD was observed circling protesters as they drove to the Walmart where Taylor was killed. N220PD has a FLIR 8500 camera that installed in Jan. 2016. According […]

Novato to Track Terrorists with License Plate Readers on Highway 37

 License plate readers  No Responses »
May 162020
 

According to a $60,000 grant the Novato Police Department recently received from the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative, new automated license plate readers (ALPRs) will be installed on Highway 37 to track terrorists. However, no suspected terrorists have been tracked or identified with Novato’s existing ALPRs, which have been in use since 2012. We asked Novato City Manager Adam McGill for information on how many suspected terrorists had been detected or tracked with Novato’s existing ALPRs. McGill forwarded the request to Novato Police Lieutenant Christopher Jacob, who responded, “According to our records, we have not detected any hot plates […]

San Leandro Punts on Plan for More Surveillance Cameras – for now

 Video surveillance  No Responses »
Apr 232020
 
San Leandro Punts on Plan for More Surveillance Cameras - for now

On April 21, 2020, the San Leandro City Council was scheduled to consider installing 10 surveillance cameras in areas recommended by the police department. However, the agenda item came the day after San Leandro police shot and killed Steve Taylor at a local Walmart. Publicity surrounding the shooting, including cell phone video from a bystander, led to outrage that may have caused city staff to pull the item off of the agenda. There are already 12 surveillance cameras installed around the city that were originally used for traffic monitoring, but were converted to surveillance cameras and have been used since […]

Vallejo Cites Ferry Terrorism to Get $30,000 Grant for License Plate Readers

 License plate readers  1 Response »
Mar 302020
 
Vallejo Cites Ferry Terrorism to Get $30,000 Grant for License Plate Readers

The Vallejo Police Department cited ferry terrorism as part of its $30,000 grant application for license plate readers, calling the ferry “a viable threat for a terrorist act.” According to the grant application, the “Grant Funds will be utilized to establish an ALPR [Automated License Plate Reader] camera system for eastbound and westbound traffic lanes approaching the Ferry Terminal, Ferry Terminal Parking Structure and waterfront.” The Vallejo Police Department already has a network of license plate readers in locations around the city. Two of Vallejo’s ALPRs can be found on a pole on the west side of Glen Cove Road, […]

Vallejo to Spend $766,018 for Cell Site Simulator

 Cell site simulator  No Responses »
Mar 212020
 
Vallejo to Spend $766,018 for Cell Site Simulator

On the consent agenda for the March 24, 2020, Vallejo City Council meeting is $766,018 to purchase a KeyW cell site simulator. If approved, Vallejo Police would become the fourth local Bay Area law enforcement agency with this device, after the San Francisco Police Department, San Jose Police Department, and the Alameda County District Attorney (which shares its device with the Oakland Police Department and Fremont Police Department). These other agencies own cell site simulators manufactured by Harris Corporation. The agenda item includes implementation of a usage and privacy policy, but no policy was provided as part of the background […]

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