08/06/2026
An investigation by the public-interest law firm Institute for Justice reveals a concerning trend of police officers using Flock surveillance cameras to stalk women.
These automated license-plate readers photograph millions of vehicles daily and upload location data to nationwide databases, allowing law enforcement to track car movements with remarkable precision.
At least 50 law enforcement officers have been officially criminally charged or accused of misusing license plate reader databases for unauthorized personal surveillance.
Out of those 50 identified cases, at least 24 to 28 officers have been explicitly arrested or fired specifically for using the Flock Safety network to stalk romantic interests, ex-partners, and spouses.
In many instances, officers bypassed department regulations to run hundreds of unauthorized searches without obtaining a search warrant, effectively turning taxpayer-funded technology into personal tools for intimidation and harassment.
Alarmingly, internal department audits routinely failed to flag these suspicious search patterns; most cases were uncovered only after victims noticed the tracking and reported the stalkers directly to law enforcement.
Because these AI-powered systems operate without strict judicial oversight, civil liberties advocates warn that sensitive location histories remain highly vulnerable to official misconduct.
As public awareness grows, the ongoing debate over unchecked police technology has led a growing number of cities and local communities across the United States to cancel their surveillance contracts and demand stronger legal protections for personal privacy.