Police officer used Flock cameras to track estranged wife 717 times
A Florida police officer was arrested for using Flock's automated license-plate reader to track his estranged wife's vehicle 717 times over 21 months, even while off duty. He claimed he was checking on his children, but investigators found no legitimate reason for the searches. The case is part of a broader pattern of police misuse of Flock cameras, prompting the company to require case numbers for searches and to review for abnormal activity.
The Haines City Police Department does not tolerate the misuse, unauthorized access, or personal use of any investigative databases or law-enforcement information systems.
- paimapi
news like this is only coming out because Flock very recently rolled out a system that tracks usage and flags possible abuses: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/trending/flock-updates-safeguards...
the problem is that usage of this system with enforcement is not law. Police Departments opt-in and are the ones responsible for whether or not individuals are charged, fired, or simply disciplined, and they also choose whether or not to disclose this to the public. and the other problem is that it's not just Flock - other companies are stepping in like Axon and Motorola and are essentially eating the cake that is Flock's recent public infamy [0]
and law enforcement skirting of accountability is essentially a legalized thing now under legal mechanisms like qualified immunity. not to mention the boy's club that are police unions - my FIL is a former sergeant and has many stories of how he was blackballed by his union because he wouldn't cover for bad cops to the extent that they were pursuing taking away his pension and insurance coverage until just a few years ago
[0] https://www.atlasofsurveillance.org/search?location=&technol...
- Haven880
The ironic, a democracy (or more like republic representation) democratised wanton abuse throughout whole country. And we demonized any countries not following our system even when their result is way better. We invent and paid for fake news to demonized them too. If you as citizen dont like it, you cant even vote against it as referendum bot allowed and voted rep no listen to you. They listen to the super rich that didnt vote for them, but paid their needs. Your only recourse is to sue or fight all the way to SCOTUS pretty much on your own effort and resources. And we all call this as the greatest nation on earth. Maybe what Nixon said is the precedence of lawful guidance, when he did it, is ok. Flock is just a symptom that we approved implicitly via doing anything but just grumble. We deserve this utopia. Nothing to see. Move on.
- gherkinnn
> inb4 I have nothing to hide
Every damn time you have an invasive system it gets abused this way. Every damn time.
- jeffchuber
seems like flock is a great honeypot to find bad cops
- Insimwytim
It's baffling to me how they can get away with such evident naming!