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Flock Safety is introducing mandatory safeguards for its automated license-plate reader system following a series of cases in which police officers allegedly used the technology for personal purposes, including tracking ex-partners and conducting searches unrelated to criminal investigations.

The company announced the changes Aug. 13 as law enforcement agencies across the country continue to expand their use of automated license-plate readers, commonly known as ALPRs. Flock Safety says its network includes about 120,000 cameras across 49 states and is used by more than 6,000 law enforcement agencies.

The cameras capture license plates and information about vehicles, including their make, model and color. Law enforcement agencies can use the resulting database to search for vehicles and reconstruct where a particular vehicle was detected by cameras.

The widespread use of the technology has generated support from police officials who say it can help solve crimes, as well as criticism from privacy advocates who warn about government surveillance.

Flock Safety Promises to Catch Misuse

Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley said the company intends to make it considerably more difficult for officers to use the system for personal reasons.

"You will get caught," Langley said in a message directed at law enforcement officers attempting to use Flock's technology for personal gain.

The company said its new safeguards are designed to identify suspicious searches and create a stronger record of why officers access information.

Under the new requirements, every vehicle search must include a specific case code connected to an investigation and identify the type of offense involved. The company hopes the requirement will prevent officers from entering vague or fabricated explanations.

Flock also is making its audit-assistance tool mandatory for all law enforcement customers. Previously, the tool was optional and was activated by only about one-third of customers.

The system is designed to identify unusual search patterns, such as an officer repeatedly searching the same license plate or conducting clusters of searches at unusual hours. Suspicious users can be locked out while an administrator reviews the activity.

Flock Safety Says Data Retention Will Be Reduced

Flock also is reducing the standard period for retaining vehicle data from 30 days to seven days.

Exceptions will apply when information is connected to an active investigation and placed into what the company calls "evidence mode." In those cases, information can remain available under the associated case number.

Another new feature will allow individual law enforcement departments to determine which categories of cases other departments can search.

For example, one department could permit another agency to search its cameras for investigations involving kidnapping, homicide or vehicle theft while blocking searches connected to immigration-related offenses.

Flock says the changes are intended to give law enforcement agencies greater control over how their camera networks are accessed.

Multiple Police Misuse Cases

The policy changes follow several investigations involving alleged misuse of ALPR systems.

In Georgia, a police chief was arrested in November and accused of using automated license-plate readers to harass and stalk people. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation later reported another case involving a former Polk County police officer accused of misusing a license-plate reader system.

In Arizona, Chandler officials announced Aug. 7 that the city would discontinue its contract with Flock after identifying an "anomaly" involving camera use. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office also decided not to renew its contract, citing concerns that included Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

In Apache Junction, Arizona, a police officer resigned after being investigated over allegations that he used department cameras to track his wife and asked another police department to conduct a welfare check on her.

North Carolina also has seen cases involving alleged unauthorized searches. Officer Elizabeth Snowman was accused of accessing her department's license-plate reader system 31 times to search for the vehicle of her boyfriend's ex-wife. Investigators alleged that some of the searches were accompanied by false explanations, including purported traffic violations and burglary investigations.

Another North Carolina officer also faces allegations involving an unauthorized license-plate search.

Privacy Concerns Cross Political Lines

The controversy surrounding Flock cameras has attracted opposition from people across the political spectrum.

Chad Marlow, senior policy counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, told USA TODAY that conservatives and liberals may approach the issue from different perspectives but share concerns about government surveillance.

Flock cameras have also become targets of protests and vandalism. In Florida, 77-year-old Carl Gunn has repeatedly demonstrated near a camera while holding a sign reading, "Down with Flock cameras."

The controversy has led some communities to reconsider whether the benefits of automated license-plate readers outweigh concerns about privacy and government surveillance.

Flock Safety Says Technology Can Improve Public Safety

Flock maintains that its technology can provide significant benefits to law enforcement.

Langley told USA TODAY that during July alone, Flock cameras helped police solve about 1,000 missing-person cases and 22,000 stolen-vehicle cases.

He also argued that misuse of law enforcement databases predates Flock and other modern surveillance technologies. According to Langley, officers have historically abused access to government systems by searching records involving relatives, romantic partners or former partners.

"A search without a reason is a search that shouldn't happen in the first place," Flock Safety said in announcing the new safeguards.

Langley said technology itself is neither inherently good nor bad, but its use determines its impact. He argued that public safety and privacy should not be treated as mutually exclusive goals.

The new safeguards are intended to make unauthorized searches easier to identify and harder to conduct, while preserving the technology's role in criminal investigations.

Additional Information

For information about Flock Safety and its license-plate reader technology, readers can review Flock Safety's official website.

USA TODAY has reported extensively on the controversy, including how Flock cameras are being used by law enforcement and how to determine whether Flock cameras are operating in your neighborhood.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has also published information about an investigation involving alleged misuse of a license-plate reader.

Readers interested in related reporting by Jackie Allen can visit her USA Herald author page.

Additional Jackie Allen reporting at USA Herald includes Hacking Event Raises New AI Safety Questions and Sovereign AI: The Global Pursuit of AI Dominance.