Police officers across the United States have repeatedly misused AI-powered license plate reader systems to stalk current and former romantic partners, according to a Washington Post investigation that identified at least 50 cases in which law enforcement officers were charged or accused of using the technology for unauthorized surveillance.
The investigation found that 26 of those cases involved officers allegedly tracking wives, girlfriends, former partners or women they wanted to meet. Flock Safety, the country's largest automated license plate reader (ALPR) provider, was used in 46 of those cases.
The findings from The Post come as the company rapidly expands its footprint, with more than 120,000 cameras operating in over 6,000 communities and recording roughly 20 billion license plate scans each month, according to the company.
One case highlighted by the news site involved former Georgia police chief Michael Steffman, who allegedly searched the license plates of his former girlfriend and her teenage daughter about 600 times through Flock's database.
After learning she was being tracked, the woman sought a restraining order, but a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence of ongoing abuse. Steffman was later arrested on stalking, harassment and misuse charges before dying by suicide ahead of trial.
The Post reported that officers used the technology to monitor victims' daily routines, including visits to doctors, abortion clinics and family members, sometimes leading to confrontations, threats or broader stalking campaigns. Privacy advocates told the newspaper the cases exposed inconsistent oversight across police departments and a lack of uniform national rules governing the technology.
CNN recently reported that cases in Milwaukee also illustrate the problem. Officer Josue Ayala admitted improperly using Flock to track a romantic partner more than 120 times before resigning and pleading guilty to attempted misconduct in public office.
Weeks later, one of the internal affairs detectives who investigated Ayala was himself charged with using Flock to track two people and placing a GPS device on one victim's vehicle. CNN noted similar allegations recently surfaced in Georgia and South Carolina.
Flock CEO Garrett Langley told both outlets that misuse represents a small fraction of the company's users and said the company recently introduced an "audit assistance" tool designed to flag suspicious searches. "We're not going to change humans, and humans make bad decisions," Langley told The Washington Post. "What we can do is make sure that they know if you use this tool, you will be held accountable."
The controversy comes amid broader scrutiny of Flock. The Guardian recently reported concerns that some of the company's roadside camera poles may not comply with transportation safety standards in certain locations, though Flock said it follows applicable state and local requirements and is reviewing installations across its network.
