Three Houston area law-enforcement agencies conducted internal investigations this summer over officers’ alleged abuse of the Flock license plate surveillance database.
Although law enforcement agencies statewide have repeatedly emphasized that Flock automatic license plate readers (ALPR) solely trace vehicles, not people, recent investigations in Fort Bend County and Pasadena have revealed some officers used the system to track people in their personal life.
Meanwhile, a Baytown police officer resigned this week amid a criminal investigation into alleged misconduct involving the Flock search system.
Together the investigations have fueled further scrutiny on how agencies oversee access to one of the country’s fastest-growing surveillance technologies.
Can ALPRS track my whereabouts?
Law enforcement and Flock Safety, a privately owned company, have consistently maintained that their license plate readers are only aimed at tracking vehicles associated with crime…