a16z“How We Can Eliminate Crime” | Ben Horowitz and Garrett Langley
Episode Details
EPISODE INFO
- Released
- December 17, 2025
- Duration
- 58m
- Channel
- a16z
- Watch on YouTube
- ▶ Open ↗
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
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: The Cost of Not Enforcing Crime 1:29 — Teach for America Model for Law Enforcement 3:56 — The People Problem: Cultural Shift in Policing 8:28 — Technology Stack: Products for Crime Prevention 12:11 — Deterrence vs. Incarceration 16:15 — Intelligence-Based Policing 19:57 — Why Crime Clearance Rates Are Dropping 25:00 — Vegas Case Study: Community Response 28:10 — Private Funding for Police Innovation 34:05 — Addressing Privacy and Trust Concerns 38:53 — Prison Reform and Rehabilitation 43:44 — Crime Statistics and Reporting Issues 47:08 — Data Retention and Sharing Policies 51:52 — Organized Crime and Sophisticated Operations 54:16 — The Future of Policing: Intelligence and Precision 57:07 — Success Stories: Saving Missing Children Read the full transcript here: https://www.a16z.news/s/podcast Resources: Follow Garrett on X: https://twitter.com/glangley Follow Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! 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.
SPEAKERS
Ben Horowitz
guestCofounder and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
Garrett Langley
guestFounder and CEO of Flock Safety, a public-safety technology company.
Erik Torenberg
hostPodcast host and a16z partner known for interviewing founders and investors.
EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of a16z, featuring Ben Horowitz and Garrett Langley, “How We Can Eliminate Crime” | Ben Horowitz and Garrett Langley explores a technology-and-policy blueprint to deter crime without mass incarceration They argue that the most humane crime strategy is high certainty of getting caught (deterrence) rather than simply increasing incarceration, because prison is costly and often destroys future opportunity.
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