Tag

License Plate Reader

All articles tagged with #license plate reader

Darth Vader pitches Flock cameras at San Diego meeting amid privacy backlash
technology1 month ago

Darth Vader pitches Flock cameras at San Diego meeting amid privacy backlash

A Darth Vader impersonator used a San Diego public safety committee meeting to advocate for Flock Safety's automated license-plate readers, framing them as security tools while highlighting privacy concerns; the city has renewed its use of Flock despite backlash, as about 100 municipalities have ended contracts with Flock, and incidents ranging from a false carjacking link to camera vandalism have fueled debate. In response, Flock rolled out new accountability measures, including an audit feature to curb misuse by year-end, though experts say more oversight is still needed.

Lynn officers placed on leave after audit flags unusual license plate searches
technology1 month ago

Lynn officers placed on leave after audit flags unusual license plate searches

Two Lynn, MA police officers were placed on paid leave after an audit of the department’s Flock Safety license plate reader searches found a concerning pattern; an Internal Affairs investigation is underway and system access has been restricted to lieutenants and above while policy is reviewed. Officials said no immigration-enforcement searches were flagged, and the broader MA context includes other towns pausing or terminating Flock contracts amid privacy and procurement concerns.

New public tool shows if your license plate was searched by Flock cameras
technology1 month ago

New public tool shows if your license plate was searched by Flock cameras

A site called HaveIBeenFlocked lets people check whether agencies using Flock license-plate cameras searched their plate, using FOIA-derived audit logs. The results reveal which searches were performed and why (often related to drugs or vehicle theft) but not whether the plate was observed. The story highlights privacy and civil-liberties concerns about immigration enforcement access and potential misuse by officers; Flock plans changes to flag abnormal searches, a move praised by critics but seen as insufficient by groups like the ACLU.

Flock Safety mandates guardrails to curb abuse of its license-plate network
technology1 month ago

Flock Safety mandates guardrails to curb abuse of its license-plate network

Flock Safety will require customers to enable new safety features that audit officer activity, automatically suspend abnormal behavior, and restrict which agencies can share or access scans; retention will drop from 30 days to seven days unless extended for investigations, as concerns about misuse and privacy drive lawsuits and a wave of cities to rethink or drop contracts.

Six SPD Employees Fired Over Personal Use of License-Plate Reader System
local2 months ago

Six SPD Employees Fired Over Personal Use of License-Plate Reader System

The Savannah Police Department terminated four sworn officers and two civilian employees after an internal investigation found misuse of the Flock Safety license plate reader system, including searches of personal acquaintances and sharing access with an outside agency. The findings led to the implementation of weekly audits and safeguards, and the cases have been referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for independent criminal review. The GBI investigation is ongoing and the names of the employees have not been released.

Mooresville Officer Charged Over Personal Use of Flock LPR to Track Ex-Wife
crime-and-public-safety2 months ago

Mooresville Officer Charged Over Personal Use of Flock LPR to Track Ex-Wife

Mooresville Police Officer Elizabeth Snowman was arrested on a charge of Accessing Computers after investigators say she used the department’s Flock license plate reader system for personal reasons, accessing the database 31 times (including on off-duty occasions) and allegedly denying it when questioned; she was booked into the Iredell County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond, highlighting ongoing privacy concerns about how LPR data is stored and shared.

The Plate-Reading Network: How Flock ALPRs Shape Public Safety and Privacy
technology2 months ago

The Plate-Reading Network: How Flock ALPRs Shape Public Safety and Privacy

Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers are widely deployed (roughly 120,000 cameras in 49 states) to convert passing plates into searchable data for investigations. Proponents say the system helps track suspects, locate missing persons, and trigger alerts (a single day reportedly flagged thousands of cases, including sex offenders, stolen cars, wanted individuals, missing people, and an Amber Alert). Critics argue the network enables mass surveillance and can misread plates, leading to innocent people being stopped or detained; some communities have paused or canceled contracts amid privacy concerns and potential data sharing with immigration authorities. Flock asserts no facial recognition, emphasizes data access controls, and default deletions after 30 days, though retention can vary by contract and law. Civil-liberties groups worry about long-term movement profiling from fixed, point-in-time observations.