California News Beep | NewsBeep.com
  • News Beep
  • California
  • Los Angeles
  • San Diego
  • San Jose
  • San Francisco
  • Fresno
  • United States
California News Beep | NewsBeep.com
California News Beep | NewsBeep.com
  • News Beep
  • California
  • Los Angeles
  • San Diego
  • San Jose
  • San Francisco
  • Fresno
  • United States
A solar-powered surveillance camera is mounted on a pole with several cars highlighted in yellow boxes on a highway aerial view.
SSan Francisco

Why did Flock get a private investigator license?

  • August 21, 2026

Published Aug. 19, 2026at6:00am

Flock Safety, the surveillance company with contracts nationwide, has seen contracts canceled and cameras vandalized and been sued for privacy violations over the last year.

Now, the company, which has been doing business in the state since 2019, has obtained a California private investigator license. Experts say this is less about aiding police than about shielding the company.

The applicant was Seth Cimino, a former Sacramento County police officer who has worked at Flock since March 2023 as an operations delivery associate and investigator focused on cases of theft and vandalism against the company.

Cimino’s time as a cop counted for the 6,000 investigative hours that were part of the requirements to get a license. He is listed as a qualified manager on the company’s license, which allows employees to do investigative work with his oversight.

  • Tags:
  • Crisis in streets
  • San Francisco
  • San Francisco Headlines
  • San Francisco News
  • SF
  • SF Headlines
  • SF News
  • SFPD
  • Surveillance
California News Beep | NewsBeep.com
www.newsbeep.com