Police officers misuse Flock license plate reader system to stalk individuals
Law enforcement officers have reportedly misused Flock Safety's network of over 120,000 automated license plate reader cameras to stalk individuals, including a North Carolina officer arrested for tracking her boyfriend's ex-wife 30+ times. The misuse raises Fourth Amendment concerns and prompted some jurisdictions to shut down the system.
What happened
Flock Safety operates a network of over 120,000 automated license plate reader cameras across the United States, with law enforcement customers in every state except Alaska able to access the system's data.
Multiple reports indicate that law enforcement officers have misused the system to stalk their partners and ex-partners. In North Carolina, a police officer was fired and later arrested for using the Flock system to track her boyfriend's ex-wife more than 30 times.
Reported impact
The misuse raises Fourth Amendment concerns regarding tracking people and their vehicles without proper authorization.
A website called 'HaveIBeenFlocked' was created to allow drivers to check if their license plate has been looked up in the system, revealing unauthorized surveillance of vehicle movements.
Index analysis
The system tracks vehicle locations through automated cameras, with searches not necessarily limited to law enforcement investigations but also conducted by non-law enforcement operators.
HaveIBeenFlocked data shows the most common reasons for license plate searches relate to drugs and motor vehicle theft based on public records.
Governance controls
Flock Safety announced it was reducing the default data retention period from 30 days to 7 days, with longer retention only for searches tied to specific case numbers.
Hood County shut down its Flock cameras over privacy concerns, indicating some jurisdictions have taken action to limit the system's use.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.