Policy Experiments: Alternatives to Incarceration

What if America tried to eliminate crime instead of just reacting to it? Not with slogans, but with staffing, technology, and strategy scaled to the problem. 

In this episode, Erik Torenberg speaks with Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock Safety, and Ben Horowitz, cofounder of a16z, about what is happening in the cities that are trying. Flock now works with over 5,000 communities to detect crime, recover missing children, and close cases faster than ever. Ben has been closely involved in Las Vegas, where Flock technology, drones, and community policing have raised clearance rates while reducing use of force. 

They outline what a real national crime-reduction strategy could look like: solving the police staffing crisis, using intelligence to make policing safer, understanding why clearance rates have collapsed, and how public–private partnerships are filling gaps cities cannot. They also tackle the hard questions around privacy, criminal justice failures, and the hidden role of organized crime in everyday offenses. 

Timecodes: 

0:00 — Introduction and the Cost of Crime

1:09 — Technology, Privacy, and Trust in Policing

1:22 — Eliminating Crime: A National Strategy

2:54 — People: Staffing, Culture, and Recruitment

8:45 — Products: Technology in Modern Policing

9:41 — Policy: Accountability and Prosecution

20:11 — Community Policing and Clearance Rates

25:16 — Case Study: Las Vegas and Public-Private Partnerships

32:00 — Criticisms, Privacy, and Trust

35:23 — Economic Mobility, Safety, and Social Impact

36:44 — Reform, Recidivism, and Alternative Approaches

52:14 — Organized Crime and Policy Challenges

54:32 — The Future of Policing: Intelligence and Precision

57:24 — Success Stories and Conclusion

Resources: 

Follow Garrett on X: https://twitter.com/glangley 

Follow Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz 

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Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z 

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z 

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX 

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg 

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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