Analytical review: Flock Safety, one of the leaders in video surveillance systems for law enforcement, has rolled out a new AI tool called OS Investigate for testing. This system can identify drivers and their vehicles without having access to either a name or a license plate. Its operation is based on analyzing travel routes and behavioral patterns, which fundamentally changes the approach to investigations.
How OS Investigate Works
My analysis of the code found on the developer's website shows that the platform contains 69 pre-installed AI queries. Law enforcement can select ready-made scenarios, edit them, or create their own. The system integrates with camera databases, police reports, 911 call logs, and even commercial sources of information, including phone numbers and data on family relationships.
A key feature is that 14 of the 69 templates allow searches to begin without any initial data about the suspect. It is enough to specify a geographic point, a time interval, and a type of activity. The algorithm independently identifies vehicles that match the specified behavioral criteria.
Technology for Identifying "Associations"
Of particular interest is the correlation analysis function. The system tracks vehicles that appear at the same cameras within a two-minute interval of the target vehicle. With three or more matches at a high confidence level, the algorithm includes such a vehicle in a list of potential "associations"—up to 20 results per single query.
The company emphasizes that the cameras do not identify individuals, and data is automatically deleted after 30 days. Flock representative Paris Lubel noted that OS Investigate is a separate product that works exclusively with information to which the police already have legal access. However, as it turned out, the request justification form has no strict requirements—entering a minimum of three characters is sufficient, which raises questions about oversight of the system's use.
Context and Critical Assessment
The launch of the new tool comes amid growing concern. The Flock network covers more than 6,000 communities in the United States, processing about 20 billion license plate reads monthly. The Justice Institute has documented dozens of abuse incidents, including surveillance of former partners. Although the company insists such cases are isolated, the introduction of AI analytics without clear legal restrictions creates a dangerous precedent.
In my view, OS Investigate technology is a step toward predictive surveillance, where algorithms themselves decide who may be involved in a crime. The lack of strict requirements for justifying requests and the ability to search "by behavior" make the system vulnerable to abuse. The question is not whether the technology is effective, but whether society is ready for this level of digital control. Clearly, without immediate legislative regulation, we risk getting a tool of total surveillance operating on the basis of subjective algorithmic decisions.