Policy Pulse: Transparency, Control, and the Path Forward

This is the third part in our Policy Pulse series on compliance and trust features. Read Part 1 and Part 2.

At the heart of democracy, trust must be earned. Not once, but daily, with every action and every choice. And those entrusted with authority must wield it with the care and transparency that the public can see, without obfuscation.

At Flock Safety, transparency is not a bug, but a feature. It’s baked into all the products we ship. For law enforcement agencies, transparency is not a catchphrase. It is the living record that shows every search, every audit, every moment where technology intersects with justice. And it is the public, watching closely, who asks: were these searches done responsibly, and for the right reasons?

That is why today we are sharing two new updates to the search experience of Flock products.

More Control Over Public Search Audits

In the past, law enforcement agencies had little choice in how public search audits were exported from the Transparency Portal. The field of Search Reason was always included, without the option to remove it. And oftentimes, an officer may include sensitive information in this field regarding a current, active investigation. At the same time, a crucial detail, Case Number. was missing, even though many departments rely on it for clear recordkeeping.

Now, that changes. Agencies have direct control over their exports when complying with public oversight requests. With a single decision, they can:

• Include Search Reason
• Include Case Number
• Include both
• Or remove both entirely

This flexibility means agencies can shape their reports to match their policies and their community’s expectations. It is, at its core, a restoration of local autonomy—while ensuring that accountability remains uncompromised.

Mandatory Offense Type Selection

Accountability is not only about what the public can see after the fact. It is also about how officers document their intent in the moment. That is why, beginning next month, we are introducing a mandatory Offense Type dropdown, originating from NIBRS offense categories, before any search is performed.

This ensures every search begins with clarity: a declaration of the specific offense under investigation. For agencies, this creates a stronger audit trail. For the public, it provides a sharper view into why a search occurred, and whether it aligns with both policy and principle.

The Bigger Picture

We know many communities and departments rely on Transparency Portals to demonstrate compliance with their own standards and values. These new tools allow greater control over audit exports, and mandatory offense documentation, which remain part of our ongoing commitment to make compliance much, much easier.

Accountability should not be a burden. Transparency should not be a barrier. They should be the natural byproducts of systems designed with both justice and democracy in mind.

These changes are live today for every law enforcement agency using Flock. They are small steps, but they point in a single direction: toward a future where compliance and community trust walk hand in hand.