Flock Safety, the company behind many of the license plate reading cameras that Bay Area police departments use, is reducing its workforce by roughly 18%, Reuters reported Thursday, citing people with direct knowledge of the plans.
What's happening
According to Reuters, about 270 of Flock's roughly 1,500 employees are expected to leave the company at the end of October. The departures follow a voluntary buyout program that Flock offered staff in September, which Wired first reported.
Flock disputes calling it a layoff. Spokesperson Paris Lewbel told TechCrunch and KRON4 that the company had offered employees a "generous Voluntary Separation Program" to position the business for its "next phase of growth," and that it was "a voluntary program, not a layoff." Flock declined to confirm the percentage when asked by The Hill.
The Bay Area connection
The Atlanta-based company runs a private network that includes more than 100,000 license plate cameras across the U.S., and its contracts have sparked dozens of heated public meetings around the Bay Area, KRON4 reported. Earlier this year, three people filed a federal class-action lawsuit challenging San Jose's use of Flock cameras on public streets. In August, a San Mateo County civil grand jury reviewed local use of the cameras, and last month Half Moon Bay said it would end its Flock contract.
Outside the region, the Los Angeles Police Department let its Flock contract expire, citing civil liberties and privacy concerns, according to KRON4. The Verge noted that a growing number of states and local communities have banned the company's readers.
What to watch
The staff cuts do not by themselves change any city's contract. Several Bay Area councils are still deciding whether to renew, expand or drop their Flock agreements, and those votes usually come up on public meeting agendas, where residents can comment before a decision.