Policy violation

On September 23, 2026, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced charges against five Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers for allegedly using Flock license-plate cameras to conduct thousands of impermissible searches, primarily to track ex-partners and acquaintances. Officer Jonathan Schultz faces 26 counts, including fraud and stalking. IMPD Chief Tanya Terry stated the department will retain its 301 leased Flock cameras and has tightened access requirements, including mandatory case numbers and new policy acknowledgments. The department discovered the misuse after an officer self-reported, leading to an internal audit.

Former Fort Pierce police officer Josepher Crutchfield was arrested on September 8, 2026 on four felony counts of unauthorized computer access. Investigators said he accessed Flock license-plate reader databases 382 times between October 2025 and July 2026 to search a license plate registered to his ex-girlfriend, without a legitimate law enforcement purpose. He also searched other databases including FCIC, NCIC, DAVID and TLO. Crutchfield had resigned from the department on August 18, 2026. Chief David Smith said, “The conduct alleged in this case is unacceptable.”

On August 28, 2026, Governor Greg Abbott’s office confirmed that state agencies would pause state funding for Flock license plate reader cameras after two officer criminal cases. A former Katy police officer was indicted in Fort Bend County on stalkng and misuse-of-official-information charges; internal affairs records obtained by KHOU reportedly showed 2,386 searches of his ex-wife’s plate over 11 months. He was fired and has pleaded not guilty. A Lufkin officer was arrested by Texas Rangers on Aug. 20 and indicted on 100 felony counts of misuse of official information; Lufkin suspended its Flock use. The Texas Tribune reported a state agency has devoted at least $30 million in grants to local police for Flock cameras. Abbott’s spokesman said city funding mostly comes from the federal government, and state funds cannot be used for the cameras.

Kentucky police officer Asad Zahir was arrested after using Flock Safety’s license-plate reader system to track his ex-girlfriend over 2,000 times. Flock’s new AI auditing tool flagged the activity, leading to his arrest on charges of official misconduct and unlawful access to a computer. Zahir was suspended without pay. Police Chief Andre Bottoms announced a full review of the department’s Flock procedures, including access and oversight. The case highlights ongoing concerns about misuse of automated license-plate readers by law enforcement.

Revere police officer Michael Tiso was suspended for three days without pay after an internal investigation concluded he misused the city’s Flock license plate reader system to track an ex-girlfriend. The suspension ran from August 24 to August 26. Investigators found he accessed the system in violation of department policies, according to a Boston Globe report. He has since returned to duty. Revere police said they have implemented new audit tools to flag unusual search activity.

Zachary Anthony Klein, 32, an officer with the Lufkin Police Department, was indicted on charges of tampering with governmental records, abuse of official capacity, and misuse of official information. The charges stem from an investigation by the Texas Rangers into his use of the Flock license plate reader system. An audit found that Klein searched an ex-girlfriend’s license plate more than 10,000 times between June 2024 and December 2025. The searches were inconsistent with criminal investigations, according to an arrest affidavit. Klein was booked into the Angelina County Jail on Aug. 20, with bond set at $700,000. The Lufkin Police Department suspended use of Flock cameras while the investigation continues.

Body camera footage published by 404 Media shows Florida police officer Lamar Roman explaining he used department databases and license plate reader cameras to stalk a woman he met on the set of Apple TV’s Bad Monkey. Roman illegally looked up her information, placed her plate on a police ‘hot list’ that alerted him to ALPR hits, sped to follow her, and pulled her over. He said, ‘I saw a shiny thing, teasing and all that.’ An investigator told the victim that deputies had been told ‘that’s not what it’s for. You see a hot chick, you don’t look them up in a database.’ Roman used an ALPR system called Guardian made by Turing.

On August 18, 2026, the Stow Police Department announced it had cut ties with Flock Safety and removed its remaining license plate camera. The decision followed an internal affairs investigation concluding that Officer Jason Rogers used the Flock database and state systems to access a person’s personal information without a legitimate law enforcement reason on multiple occasions. Rogers was placed on unpaid leave and faces termination. The department filed a criminal complaint against him and forwarded findings to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Stow also removed two other Flock cameras earlier in 2026 after evaluating their effectiveness.

On August 10, 2026, three Bibb County sheriff’s deputies were arrested in Macon, Georgia, for misusing the department’s access to Flock license-plate readers. The deputies, two men and one woman, were charged with stalking, prohibited use of a traffic control device, and violation of their oaths of office. They used the system for personal purposes to monitor people they knew. All three resigned. The arrests followed an audit of the license-plate reading system.

Seattle Police Department fired a public records employee after an audit found she arbitrarily pushed back deadlines, lied to requestors, and allowed 911 audio recordings to be destroyed. The employee, hired in 1999, was terminated after a manager found 60 requests with serious issues, including at least two dozen bodycam requests never submitted for redaction. She told requestors she was waiting for a video specialist, which was false. In 22 requests, she failed to preserve 911 audio, which is deleted after 90 days. She claimed unawareness of the retention schedule. The city could face a seven-figure settlement under the Public Records Act.

In August 2026, Flock Safety announced it was reducing the default retention period for license-plate-reader data from 30 days to seven days, after which data is deleted unless an agency configures a different period. The Next Web reported the change followed nearly 50 documented cases of police officers misusing the plate-reader network. Flock also said it will require all law-enforcement customers to activate its Audit Assistance feature by the end of 2026; the feature analyses user activity and flags unusual searches for review by an agency administrator. The Deseret News reported on August 25, 2026 that the changes came amid public scrutiny of the cameras. No refund, fine or cost figure was reported.

In August 2026, the Florida Department of Transportation revoked all existing approvals for automated license-plate-recognition systems installed by local law-enforcement agencies in state rights-of-way and stopped approving new requests. Agencies were given 30 days to remove the cameras, after which FDOT said it would remove any that remained. The department cited “concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns, and surveillance schemes” and “the recent exponential increase in deployments along our roadways.” Governor Ron DeSantis had said that without oversight the cameras threaten privacy. The order applies only to the State Highway System. WUFT reported on August 31, 2026 that all of Putnam County’s Flock cameras were being discontinued. No removal cost or refund figure was reported.

In August 2026 the Boston Globe reported that Littleton, Massachusetts officials had voted in May to shut down six Flock cameras on public roads, and that police later discovered Flock had restored power to the cameras without notifying the town. The department ordered the cameras remotely powered down and confirmed a Flock work order was in place to remove them from utility poles as soon as possible. Techdirt described it as the second time Flock had activated a system a town had voted to shut down. Techdirt also reported that an audit by the South Carolina Secretary of Transportation found more than 200 unpermitted Flock cameras operating on public roads. The Globe reported that Cambridge, Massachusetts terminated its Flock contract after two cameras were installed without notification following an earlier removal. No public cost figures were reported.

An SFPD audit found that the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) had queried SFPD’s Flock network on behalf of federal and out-of-state agencies. There were 299 improper inquiries over approximately one year, accounting for 0.005% of inquiries. SFPD Chief Derrick Lew turned off NCRIC access and initiated an internal review. The improper searches were conducted by analysts with the Western States Information Network. California law prohibits sharing ALPR data with out-of-state and federal agencies.

On May 4, 2026, Sergio Guadalupe Rodriguez, a former Katy police officer, was arrested on two third-degree felony charges: stalking and misuse of official information. Indictments accuse him of using the Katy Police Department’s Flock license plate reader system to track his ex-wife between November 2024 and April 2025, and of placing a tracking device on her vehicle. Bond was set at $15,000 per charge. Rodriguez pleaded not guilty. Court conditions prohibit him from using law enforcement databases and possessing tracking devices.

On April 17, 2026, the Florida Highway Patrol arrested Lindsey Isaacs, 23, on eight felony charges, including three counts of vehicular homicide, for an October 4, 2025 hit-and-run on I-4 that killed three people. A Flock camera had recorded her black Dodge Durango about three miles from the crash. A 911 caller had described a maroon Durango and gave a partial plate that did not match hers, and the struck vehicle bore maroon paint. She spent 13 days in jail. Prosecutors dropped the charges on May 22, 2026, the same day investigators arrested another driver whose maroon Durango had been repaired after the crash. Isaacs filed a federal lawsuit against FHP and two sergeants, alleging they claimed her undamaged vehicle showed crash damage and ignored evidence that would have cleared her. No settlement is reported.

An automated license plate reader system flaw in Ventura County, California, allowed federal and out-of-state agencies to query local ALPR data in violation of state law. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office audited the system on Feb. 11 and found over 364,000 searches by out-of-state agencies between Feb. 19 and March 19, 2025. Other agencies reported similar access: Port Hueneme logged 798,000 out-of-state queries, Oxnard two, Ventura two. The feature called ‘National Lookup’ had been inadvertently enabled. Oxnard suspended its Flock system; others continued using it with new safeguards.

Cambridge terminated its contract with Flock Safety on December 10, 2025. The City Council had first approved buying automated license plate readers in February; Flock installed 16 cameras in September. On October 20, the council voted unanimously to suspend police use of the cameras, citing concern that data sharing with federal agencies would violate the city’s sanctuary ordinance. The 16 cameras were deactivated and removed in late October. The city then said two additional cameras had been installed by Flock technicians in late November without the city’s awareness, during the pause. City officials described the episode as a breach of trust and ended the contract.

On the evening of December 5, 2025, the Eugene Police Department ended its contract with Flock Safety effective immediately, citing vulnerabilities and limitations affecting operational needs, data security requirements and community expectations. Springfield police announced about an hour later that their cameras would be covered pending removal; Springfield had said in September it would not turn on its 25 cameras, budgeted at $77,000 per year and funded by a $93,000 Oregon Criminal Justice Commission grant, until a community discussion took place. Eugene’s chief later confirmed a Flock camera had been turned on after the city ordered the cameras shut down in October. Eugene’s $342,000 two-year contract was funded by a state grant. City staff removed 55 of Eugene’s 57 cameras by December 19.

On September 8, 2025, The San Francisco Standard reported, based on records it obtained, that out-of-state law enforcement agencies had run more than 1.6 million searches of the San Francisco Police Department’s Flock license plate reader database, including at least 19 searches marked as related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. California law bars sharing automated license plate reader data with out-of-state agencies for any purpose, and state sanctuary law bars assisting immigration enforcement. The Standard reported that SFPD gave out-of-state agencies direct access between at least August 2024 and February 2025, and that nearly 4,000 out-of-state agencies searched the data. EFF and the ACLU wrote to SFPD that month demanding it stop. A city audit reported in June 2026 found hundreds of additional illegal searches, including improper use by federal agencies.

Flock Safety paused pilot programs with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations on August 25, 2025. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said an audit found CBP had accessed Illinois data, calling it “a clear violation of the state law.” Flock CEO Garrett Langley said parameters were unclear. Flock added flag terms including “abortion,” “immigration” and “ICE” in late June. Federal agencies can no longer make blanket statewide searches.

On August 25, 2025, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced that an audit of 12 local law enforcement agencies found Flock Safety in violation of state law. The audit found the company lacked proper safeguards on data sharing and had been running a pilot program that gave U.S. Customs and Border Protection access to cameras on Illinois roads. An Illinois law passed two years ago prohibits sharing plate reader data for purposes including investigating immigration status or interfering with reproductive health care. Giannoulias ordered the federal agency’s access to Illinois cameras shut off, and Flock paused its pilot with CBP and other federal agencies nationwide. Flock’s CEO said the company “didn’t create distinct permissions and protocols in the Flock system to ensure local compliance for federal agency users.” A follow-up finding on September 5 named the Forest Park Police Department for sharing data with CBP.

In August 2025 the City of Chicago agreed to settle Williams v. City of Chicago, a class action brought on behalf of two men who were stopped and frisked after ShotSpotter alerts, in separate incidents on the South and Northwest sides. The city’s Law Department put the settlement at $90,000. As part of the agreement the city conceded that a ShotSpotter alert alone does not justify stopping or patting down a person who happens to be near the alert location. The city had stopped using the system in September 2024 and, at the time of the settlement, was considering bringing gunshot detection back.

On June 11, 2025, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office notified the Mount Prospect Police Department that other law enforcement agencies had conducted 262 immigration-related searches of the village’s automated license plate reader data. The department said it had been unaware of the searches until notified. The village also learned that the Johnson County, Texas, sheriff’s office had used Flock Safety’s National Lookup feature, accessing Mount Prospect’s data without a data-sharing agreement. Illinois law prohibits using plate reader data to investigate immigration status. Mount Prospect said it has since disabled nationwide access and revoked access for all out-of-state agencies.

On May 9, 2025, a Johnson County, Texas, sheriff’s deputy used Flock Safety’s National Lookup feature to search for a woman’s license plate across more than 83,000 cameras in 6,809 law enforcement networks in multiple states. The reason logged for the search was “had an abortion, search for female.” After 404 Media reported the search, the sheriff and Flock described it as a welfare check for a missing person. Court records obtained by EFF showed deputies had opened a death investigation of a non-viable fetus, logged evidence of a self-managed abortion and consulted prosecutors about possible charges. The search reached data in Illinois and Washington; Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias reportedly called the use illegal. Two members of Congress wrote to Flock’s CEO in August 2025 about the episode.

In January 2025, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent used a Palos Heights, Illinois police officer’s Flock Safety password to search a license plate for an immigration violation. Using license plate readers for immigration enforcement is illegal in Illinois. The police department changed the password after discovering the misuse. The incident was reported in audits and agency statements released in 2025.

An internal Bridgeton Police Department operations report dated May 2, 2024, documented the loss of approximately 62,000 body-worn camera and in-car video files. The report attributes the loss to a hard drive problem on the department’s WatchGuard server after a botched migration to a new system that went online in July 2022. The department contacted Motorola and Equus for recovery, but neither could provide the missing files. New Jersey law requires retention of body camera footage for at least 180 days, and longer in certain cases. The report does not indicate whether prosecutors or defense attorneys were notified of the loss.

On December 5, 2023, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office stated that Dallas police deleted body camera videos from 2016–2021 due to retention policies, potentially affecting thousands of cases. A March notification led to a review of 113 trial cases involving complainant deaths; 572 of nearly 9,000 video files had been deleted. A November 2022 review found about 52,000 digital files improperly categorized. DPD increased retention to a two-year minimum and added staff. The DA’s office said no deleted video had yet proven material.

On March 10, 2023, the city of Shreveport disclosed that its Real Time Crime Center cameras do not comply with state and federal law because they are insecure and vulnerable to hacking. Mayor Tom Arceneaux said on KEEL radio, “I don’t think they are useful for anything because they are capable of being hacked into. We will probably eat them or sell them for scrap.” Sources estimated between 50 and 90 cameras were installed under former Mayor Adrian Perkins’ administration. The system must be replaced, and city administrators were warned of the noncompliance before purchase.

Albany County, Wyoming, reached a $1.2 million settlement with the family of Robbie Ramirez, who was fatally shot by Deputy Derek Colling in November 2018. The settlement, dated May 2, 2022, came amid allegations that body and dash camera footage was tampered with. Original videos were deleted by a sheriff’s lieutenant in December 2019, violating a five-year records-retention policy. As part of the settlement, a judge issued an order stating there was no legal basis for evidence tampering.

On August 23, 2021, the California Department of Justice announced a stipulated judgment with the City of Bakersfield and the Bakersfield Police Department. A DOJ investigation found a pattern of unreasonable force, stops, searches, and arrests, among other violations. The five-year agreement requires BPD to revise use-of-force policies, prohibit electronic control weapons on handcuffed individuals, improve data collection, and be overseen by an independent monitor. BPD had already outfitted officers with body-worn cameras and volunteered to collect data under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act.

On April 5, 2021, the city of Dallas learned that a police employee had accidentally deleted 22 terabytes of digital case files while migrating data from a cloud-based archive to an on-premise server. Police recovered 14 terabytes; the remaining 8 terabytes are believed permanently deleted. The files included audio recordings, case notes, images and videos. The deletion affected prosecution of cases with offense dates before July 28, 2020. At least one murder trial was delayed. The police department attributed the deletion to human error and announced new safeguards, including requiring two employees for file migrations and a 14-day recycle bin.

On May 3, 2020, Reno Police Department used DataWorks Plus facial recognition software to match a surveillance photo to an innocent individual, resulting in a wrongful arrest. Officers relied on the algorithmic match without independent corroboration to secure an arrest warrant. Criminal charges were later dropped. The City of Reno settled the resulting civil rights lawsuit for $100,000 and agreed to policy changes requiring independent corroborating evidence before facial recognition matches can be used as probable cause.

The Raleigh Police Department halted its use of Clearview AI facial recognition software, six months after paying $2,500 for a one-year subscription. The department said it stopped after Clearview failed to respond satisfactorily to questions. The department’s policy restricts facial recognition to public-domain images, but Clearview scrapes social media. The ACLU said the software raises privacy concerns and disputed its accuracy claims. The department said it is reviewing its policies and does not intend to resume use.