GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — More than a year after an immigration-related search of Flock camera data in Grand Rapids drew outrage, an internal email released by police appears to solve the “whodunnit” mystery surrounding the query.
The email, obtained by Target 8 through the Freedom of Information Act, suggests the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was behind the controversial search, which was initially discovered by concerned citizens who acquired Flock Safety’s search logs through an open records request.
Kzoo police shut down immigration-related use of license plate readers
The logs, referred to as “network audits” by the Atlanta-based company, document searches of shared license plate reader systems, including who submitted the query, when and why.
One such audit showed a user identified only as “J. Mar” listed “deportation warrant” as the reason for a February 2025 license plate search submitted through the Grand Rapids Police Department’s Flock account. That’s despite GRPD’s stated policy prohibiting the use of automated license plate readers for immigration enforcement…