Denver Woman Wrongly Accused of Theft Due to Flock Camera Misidentification
Police in Colorado used Flock AI-powered license plate reader footage to accuse Chrisanna Elser of package theft in Bow Mar, but the vehicle identification was incorrect. Elser was able to clear her name using her vehicle's onboard cameras, which showed she was at her tailor at the time of the alleged theft.
What happened
On Sept. 22, a package was stolen from a doorstep in Bow Mar, Colorado. Police used Flock cameras to identify a forest green Rivian entering and leaving the town from 11:52 a.m. to 12:09 p.m. as matching the suspect vehicle.
On Sept. 27, Columbine Valley Police Sgt. Jamie Milliman appeared at Chrisanna Elser's home in Denver with a summons, accusing her of the theft. Milliman stated the Flock footage showed her vehicle, told her he also had video of her committing the theft, and told her he was certain of the identification. When asked to see the video, Milliman refused and said she could view it in court.
Reported impact
Elser stated that she was forced to prove her own innocence rather than police proving her guilt. She asked Milliman multiple times to see the video evidence but was refused.
Elser later reviewed theft footage posted on Nextdoor and concluded it did not match her. She used onboard cameras from her Rivian, which recorded her driving to her tailor at the time of the alleged theft, to clear her name.
Index analysis
The Flock system identified a vehicle matching the description and time window of the suspect vehicle. However, the system's match did not account for the possibility of multiple similar-looking vehicles in the area or for verification against additional evidence before accusation.
Governance controls
Milliman did not review Elser's offered evidence from her vehicle's onboard cameras before issuing the summons. He stated she could present such evidence in court rather than using it to verify the identification before taking enforcement action.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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