Cops Keep Getting Arrested for Using Flock to Stalk People

2026-06-10 · Source: 404media Feed · Field: Government & Public Sector — Public Safety & Security, Public Policy & Governance, Civic Technology & Smart Cities · Depth: Novice, long

Summary

More than a dozen police officers nationwide have been arrested or fired for illegally using the Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system to stalk individuals, primarily romantic partners or ex-partners. For instance, Orange City, Florida officer Jarmarus Brown accessed his ex-girlfriend's license plate 69 times, her mother's 24 times, and her father's 15 times during summer 2024, leading to stalking and hacking charges. Civil rights groups like the Institute for Justice report at least 18 officers caught stalking, while the ALPR Abuse Library documents 20 cases. Flock acknowledges 15 incidents of abuse among its 140,000 monthly active users, attributing detection to its built-in transparency features. However, many abuses, often spanning months or years, are discovered by victims, journalists, or citizen groups through public records requests, rather than internal police audits or Flock's tools, highlighting a systemic issue of unchecked access without warrant requirements.

Key takeaway

For legal professionals and civil liberties advocates concerned with surveillance, this widespread abuse of ALPR systems like Flock necessitates immediate action. You should push for stringent warrant requirements for all ALPR database access, ensuring judicial oversight prevents personal stalking and unauthorized tracking. Additionally, advocate for robust, independent audit mechanisms and public transparency mandates to hold law enforcement accountable for system misuse, protecting citizens' privacy rights.

Key insights

Police widely misuse Flock ALPR systems for personal stalking, enabled by insufficient oversight and lack of warrant requirements.

Principles

• ALPR systems enable extensive individual movement tracking.
• Unrestricted access to surveillance tools fosters abuse.
• Public records requests are vital for uncovering misuse.

Method

Abuse is often discovered by victims, journalists, or citizen groups analyzing Flock audit logs obtained via public records requests or using databases like HaveIBeenFlocked.com.

In practice

• Request local police ALPR audit logs.
• Check HaveIBeenFlocked.com for personal data.
• Advocate for ALPR warrant requirements.

Topics

• Automated License Plate Readers
• Flock Safety
• Police Misconduct
• Surveillance Technology
• Data Privacy
• Civil Liberties

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by 404media Feed.