THORNTON, Colo. (KDVR) — A group of residents has filed an ethics complaint with the Thornton Police Department after alleging that a single officer conducted more than 19,000 searches in the city’s license plate reader system over roughly two years, far exceeding the usage of other officers.
The complaint, filed on April 9 by community group Thornton for All, cites public data showing that between October 2023 and December 2025, one officer searched license plates 19,194 times using the city’s automated camera network.
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According to the complaint, most of the searches listed only “plate” as the reason for the inquiry, with just 29 tied to a specific case number. The searches also occurred at all hours of the day, including outside of an assumed work day.
“We’re seeing behavior that frankly doesn’t align with what I would consider a responsible use of technology,” said Steven Mathias, co-founder of Thornton for All…