ATLANTA
Flock Safety initiated a voluntary employee separation program Friday, inviting its 1,500-person workforce to apply for severance packages until October 2. The company expects to approve buyouts for most applicants, according to an internal email.
The move signals mounting pressure on the surveillance technology firm. Flock has lost contracts throughout 2024 as privacy concerns intensify. Law enforcement officers have misused the company's license plate readers to track former partners and colleagues, according to investigative reports. Agencies have widely shared access to the system with limited public disclosure of how data is collected or stored.
Operating costs have also surged. Vandalism targeting Flock cameras has accelerated sharply, eating into margins the company can ill afford to lose. Without the buyout program, the company would likely have conducted layoffs instead.
Flock raised capital at an $8 billion valuation in April—before the customer and operational headwinds intensified. The company has raised approximately $1.2 billion in venture funding since its 2017 founding.
The severance package nearly doubles prior offers. Some employees are receiving tens of thousands of dollars, plus extended health care coverage. Flock is also allowing former employees to exercise stock options for two years after separation—longer than the standard 90-day window the company normally provides to resigning staff.
Flock said the program gives employees "greater agency" and reflects how it "treats employees with transparency, respect, and choice." Employees will learn application decisions by October 9, with most departures expected by October 29. The company may retain some staff for one to three additional months based on operational needs.
Industry speculation has turned to whether Flock might sell parts or all of its business as it navigates these headwinds.
