New Public Safety Technology Investments

Posted In: Police Mayor's Office

Date: January 24, 2024

The City of Allentown partners with Flock Safety to enhance public safety with license plate recognition cameras and gunshot detection technology, funded by $4.1 million in grants from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The City of Allentown has announced a partnership with Flock Safety, the public safety technology company that helps neighborhoods, communities, and law enforcement work together to fight crime. As of this month, the Allentown Police Department has finalized the deployment of Flock Safety’s license plate recognition (LPR) cameras, and the Raven™ audio detection system will be completely installed in a few weeks.

Flock Safety LPR cameras send a real-time alert to law enforcement when a stolen car or known wanted suspect from a state or national crime database is detected. They also send alerts if a vehicle associated with a missing person in an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected. Additionally, the Flock Safety LPR system helps law enforcement solve crime by providing the objective evidence needed for investigations. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 7 in 10 crimes are committed with a vehicle.

The Flock Safety Raven recognizes gunshots and alerts local police, saving a 5-second audio clip as evidence. The Raven does not record voices and recording is not triggered by anything other than gunshots.

When the gunshot audio is detected, Flock Safety LPR cameras in the area are also automatically turned on to capture additional visual evidence of the scene.

The City has 67 Flock Safety LPR cameras and Raven audio detection will cover 1 square mile in the City. All data collected through Flock technology is owned by the City of Allentown and will never be sold or shared with third parties. These devices will be used to solve crime and are not intended for minor traffic or parking violations.

“The Allentown Police Department is committed to working with our community and leveraging the best technologies available to address violent crime and improve public safety in the city,” said Police Chief Charles Roca.

Flock Safety technology is funded by grants awarded in December 2022 to law enforcement agencies by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to help reduce violent crime rates and improve public safety in communities across the Commonwealth.

The two grants awarded by the PCCD total $4.1 million and are through the Local Law Enforcement (LLE) Support Program and Gun Violence Investigation & Prosecution (GVIP) Program.

The LLE Support Program awarded the Allentown Police Department $2.6 million to make investments in camera upgrades, mobile license plate readers, in car cameras, body cameras, technology improvements and upgrades for police vehicles.

The second grant through the GVIP Program awarded the Allentown Police Department $1.5 million to support gunshot detection technology and increase police presence for gun violence suppression.

Flock Safety technology is part of the Allentown Police Department’s overall strategy to address gun violence in the City of Allentown.

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