A substantial body of reporting now documents at least 29 confirmed cases of law enforcement officers misusing automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology and Flock Safety cameras to monitor individuals without legal authority, spanning more than a dozen states and revealing systemic gaps in oversight of the surveillance systems.
According to the Institute for Justice, police have reportedly used license plate readers to stalk romantic interests at least 28 times in recent years. Research tracking these incidents across multiple jurisdictions indicates officers have utilized the technology for personal surveillance purposes far beyond legitimate law enforcement needs.
The misuse extends across state lines, with police accused of misusing Flock cameras in at least 12 states, according to Newsweek. The offenses have resulted in arrests and disciplinary action against officers who exploited access to the camera network.
According to 404 Media, officers have been arrested specifically for using Flock to stalk people, documenting a pattern of criminal behavior by those entrusted with surveillance authority.
Journalists covering ALPR technology have themselves become victims of the misuse. According to The Drive, a reporter who covered Flock's cameras discovered they were wrongly flagged by the system. This journalist subsequently engaged directly with Flock's CEO regarding the incident, learning critical details about the system's vulnerabilities.
Among the documented cases is an incident in Texas where a police officer used Flock to track a woman who obtained an abortion, according to Cybernews. This case illustrates how the technology can be weaponized to pursue individuals for lawful medical decisions.
CNN's investigation documented widespread police use and misuse of Flock's license-plate reader cameras, highlighting the growing nature of the problem as departments expand their surveillance infrastructure.
The incidents collectively demonstrate how surveillance technology designed for public safety purposes can be exploited for personal use without adequate technical or administrative safeguards. The cases span romantic surveillance, stalking, and tracking individuals for reasons wholly unrelated to legitimate law enforcement objectives, raising critical questions about access controls and oversight mechanisms governing ALPR networks.