New gang cameras used to detect interactive shows in the Bay Area are being unveiled as authorities seize 16 cars linked to previous illegal shows

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Last month, authorities seized 16 vehicles linked to two separate displays on the Bay Bridge.

And now a company called Flock Safety says it just introduced new sideshow detection technology this week designed to detect and alert police about sideshows.

With the help of artificial intelligence, the police used the sounds of screeching tires to suppress the rides.

Flock Safety says their technology is already installed in two Bay Area cities.

MORE: The CHP says a pair of weekend shows in the East Bay resulted in dozens of arrests, multiple cars.

We’ve seen spinning cars and flying sparks from dangerous sideshows, including one caught on camera in Vallejo.

The police are trying to overcome the problem.

“We were able to identify numerous vehicles that were involved in these excursions,” said Sgt. Andrew Barkley of the CHP Golden Gate Division.

Flock security cameras and license plate readers recently installed on the Bay Bridge are helping to crack down on this promotion. This week alone, local law enforcement agencies seized 16 cars. The CHP says they were involved in two different sideshows the weekend after Labor Day.

MORE: Vallejo neighbors furious after showrunners climbed upstairs and damaged their roof

“Interviews in Vallejo are a constant problem. It takes a lot of resources,” said Vallejo Police Sgt. Rashad Hollis.

Vallejo police say license plate readers help.

“We have Flock license plate readers. They do a really good job,” Hollis said. “Right now, we only use Flock to read license plates and detect single and multiple gunshots.”

But soon this technology may be used more widely.

MORE: SF approves legislation to deal with show participants, organizers and visitors

This week, Flock Safety launched a first-of-its-kind interactive show detection tool to help communities combat illegal interiors.

It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to recognize certain sounds, such as screeching tires, and sends real-time alerts to law enforcement agencies when a nuisance show is underway.

Flock Safety CEO and founder Garrett Langley calls it “a ground-breaking tool that allows agencies to act faster and prevent these dangerous events before they escalate.”

Police and CHP say even without audio, the equipment makes a difference.

“I know that technology is improving. This is the wave of the future. It forces officers to discover and refine our strategies, so I don’t see how that can hurt,” Hollis said.

“As we continue to see the emergence of innovative technologies that allow law enforcement to identify the problems we have and how we can perhaps better investigate them, generally this emergence of technology that ultimately benefits us ultimately benefits the people who we serve as well,” Barclay said.