In 2026, as artificial intelligence continues to permeate public safety, police departments are gaining access to tools capable of unprecedented real-time monitoring. One such tool, developed by Flock Safety, exemplifies the growing trend of AI-assisted law enforcement. WIRED has obtained and analyzed the code that Flock sends directly to police officers' browsers, revealing how its latest search feature operates.
What Flock’s AI Search Tool Does
Flock’s new AI search capability allows officers to conduct natural language queries across multiple camera feeds simultaneously. Instead of manually reviewing footage from individual CCTV points, an officer can now type a description—such as “a man in a red hoodie carrying a backpack”—and the system will scan all connected cameras for matches. This marks a shift from reactive surveillance to proactive, description-based searching.
The tool represents a significant advance in Flock’s existing suite of security products, which already include automated license plate recognition and gunshot detection. By integrating AI-driven search, Flock aims to help officers locate persons of interest more quickly, potentially improving response times in emergency situations.
How It Works Under the Hood
WIRED’s investigation into Flock’s code reveals that the AI processes video feeds in real time, using object detection and semantic analysis to interpret textual queries. The system appears to convert the officer’s description into a set of visual features (e.g., color, clothing, object presence) and then cross-references those features against frames from multiple cameras. Alerts are then ranked by confidence, allowing officers to prioritize the most likely matches.
The code also suggests that the tool is designed to operate within Flock’s existing cloud infrastructure, meaning that video from participating agencies is processed remotely. This raises considerations about data privacy, latency, and dependency on internet connectivity.
Privacy and Civil Liberties Concerns
Civil liberties groups have long expressed concerns about expanded surveillance capabilities, and Flock’s AI search tool is likely to reignite those debates. The ability to search across numerous cameras using fuzzy descriptions could lead to over-identification or false positives, particularly for individuals matching generic traits. Moreover, the aggregation of footage from multiple sources in a single interface may facilitate unwarranted tracking.
Flock maintains that its tools are intended to support public safety and that appropriate access controls are in place. However, as AI technologies advance, the balance between security and privacy remains a critical public discussion, one that will intensify as more departments adopt such systems by 2026 and beyond.
Conclusion
Flock’s AI search for law enforcement is a testament to how quickly AI is reshaping the public safety landscape. While it offers potential efficiency gains, it also raises profound questions about the nature of surveillance in modern society. Continued transparency and rigorous oversight will be essential to ensure these tools are used responsibly and equitably.
via Wired AI