Feb 8, 2024 · 34m · a16z
Drones, Data, and Deterrence: Technology's Role in Public Safety
Sheriff Kevin McMahill · 12m spoken Garrett Langley · 8m spoken David Ulevitch · 5m spoken Katherine Boyle · 4m spoken
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
At the a16z LP Summit, moderator David Ulevitch, Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley, and Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill discuss how automated license plate recognition, gun detection technology, and first-responder drones are revolutionizing public safety while safeguarding privacy and civil liberties.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. How this is scored →
The host as informed peer 2.3 Guest teaching 2.5 Guest disagreement 0.0 The host pushing back 0.2
speaking balance: gold is the host, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 27:45 Garrett challenges traditional assumptions about privacy
Garrett reframes civil liberty concerns by arguing that citizens have already given up traditional privacy to tech platforms like Instagram, making public safety tools far less intrusive by comparison.
Hardest push from the host ▶ 25:50 David presses on Big Brother surveillance concernsDavid directly raises the 'Big Brother' and surveillance state concerns surrounding computer vision tech, asking Garrett how he answers critics who question public safety trade-offs.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 8:20 Sheriff highlights 60 handguns seized in one weekendSheriff McMahill educates the panel on tactical technology deployment, revealing how placing hidden gun detection tech in casino elevator banks seized 60 firearms in a single weekend.
The host holds their own ▶ 23:58 David details DFR technology roadmapDavid demonstrates industry knowledge by articulating the shift from vehicle-launched drones to automated rooftop dispatch units that instantly assess nine-one-one fire and police emergencies.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | The host as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | The host pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-World Impact Stories: Solving Crime with Flock Safety Network | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | David Ulevitch prompts Garrett Langley for real-world impact stories, leading Garrett to recount crime-solving examples in Wake Forest and UC Berkeley. The interaction is fully collaborative with no pushback or confrontation. | |
| Sheriff McMahill on the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting and Gun Detection Tech | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Sheriff McMahill delivers a narrative on the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, sharing operational learnings and the deployment of gun detection tech in casino elevator banks that seized 60 handguns in one weekend. The host listens without intervening. | |
| Scale of Flock Safety and High School Shooting Case | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Garrett details Flock Safety scale across 4,000 cities, before Sheriff McMahill interjects with a case study of a high school shooting solved by turning on Flock cameras early. McMahill compares Las Vegas's 90 percent homicide clearance rate to Chicago's 30 percent. | |
| Community Engagement, Objectivity, and Product Transparency | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Sheriff McMahill and Garrett discuss building trust in marginalized communities through objective technology rather than subjective police patrols. David contributes his own investment diligence experience regarding community leader feedback. | |
| Drone as a First Responder (DFR) and Search & Rescue | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Sheriff McMahill details the evolution of DFR (Drone as First Responder) and search and rescue in mountain canyons. David demonstrates domain knowledge by explaining how automated roof-launched drones improve situational awareness for emergency services. | |
| Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Business/Community Partnerships | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | David raises concerns around civil liberties and surveillance. Garrett explains local data retention controls, while Sheriff McMahill describes inviting groups like the ACLU and NAACP to tour the crime center and inspect facial recognition safeguards. |
Statements from this episode (19)
Boyle: Flock Safety cameras tracked kidnapped baby across Georgia to rescue child
“He said shortly after the kidnapping, flock safety cameras in Atlanta picked up the car and was able to follow that car across multiple counties and find that baby unharmed a couple hours later and bring him back to his mother and bring the perpetrators to jus…”
Langley: Flock Safety recovered stolen cars and weapons within 24 hours
“Most recently in Wake Forest, they rolled out Flock, and within their first 24 hours, Found three stolen cars, a missing child, and two automatic firearms on campus”
McMahill: 2017 Las Vegas shooting resulted in 60 deaths and 850 injuries
“58 people died that day, and two subsequent. 422 other people were shot and survived after being shot with an AR 15, and 850 people were injured.”
McMahill: Elevator gun detection intercepted 60 handguns at Vegas casino in weekend
“We put these gun, or gun detection technology in The elevator banks before they got on the elevator, and in one weekend after we deployed it, we found 60 handguns that were going to be taken into a casino hotel.”
Langley: Flock Safety operates in 4,000 cities, solving 2,200 crimes daily
“We're live in just over 4000 cities in America. So that's almost 70% of the population that's covered by flock, and from, ah, efficacy, ah, we solve about 2200 crimes a day, ah, which is just around 10%.”
McMahill: Flock technology will eventually make committing crimes impossible
“This technology is changing the game, and with the advent of Flock, we are going to get to a place at some point where it becomes impossible to commit a crime because technology will help us resolve that.”
McMahill: Las Vegas police maintained 90% homicide clearance for five years
“We have over a 90% clearance rate on all of our homicides for five years in a row. You won't find that anywhere else in the United States of America.”
McMahill: Chicago resolves only 30% of its homicides
“When you go to other cities, like Chicago as an example, 30% of their homicides are resolved.”
McMahill: Each piece of public safety tech equals three police officers
“This technology is, in my opinion, Every piece of that technology is the equivalent of three police officers. It can get into places and see things and detect things that I don't care how good of a cop you are, you would never be able to see it.”
Ulevitch: Marginalized community leaders are top advocates for Flock Safety
“Some of the biggest advocates for flock safety in communities with high crime rates are those community leaders from more marginalized communities.”
Langley: Higher clearance rates are the sole correlation with lower crime
“The only correlation between a drop in crime is an increase in clearance rate.”
McMahill: LVMPD police shootings dropped from 25 in 2010 to six
“In 2010, we shot and killed 25 people. Right now, year to date, we've shot six.”
Ulevitch: Drones will soon automatically launch from police roofs on 911 calls
“I think we're very close to a moment in time where somebody can call nine one and a drone will be automatically dispatched from the roof of a police department to immediately provide eyes on the sky.”
Langley: Austin police retain Flock data for seven days, unlike Dallas
“He has seven days of data retention. And he has to show up every single month and provide an audit of every single search that's conducted on his system. That's dramatically different than in Dallas, or in Tulsa, or Oklahoma City, where the chief doesn't have …”
Langley: Flock Safety earns more from private communities than police departments
“If you look at most of our revenue concentration, it's pretty common that the community is spending more money on flock than the police department.”
McMahill: Las Vegas police restrict facial recognition to past booking photos
“We use facial recognition technology, but we only use it as a tool within an investigation. And we use it, and we only bounce that facial recognition technology off of jail management system. So booking photos, people that have already been booked for a crime”
McMahill: LVMPD received 9,000 911 calls in first minute of 2017 shooting
“When one October happened, in the first minute, we had 9009 one calls.”
Langley: Dozens of police agencies using Flock achieve 100% violent crime clearance
“We, we've got dozens of agencies that, like the sheriff, are at a hundred percent clearance rate on violent crime, and they are approaching a hundred percent clearance rate on nonviolent crime.”
Langley: Elk Grove police use Flock drones to respond in 30 seconds
“So in their real-time crime centers, powered by Flock, they get all their nine-one-one calls. They have our DFR product. So when a nine-one-one call comes in, a gunshot detection, a stolen car, they have strategically placed about a dozen of our drones and doc…”