A hot potato: Several police officers across multiple states and jurisdictions have been arrested in recent months for allegedly using AI-powered Flock license plate readers to stalk their ex-partners. Marketed to law enforcement as a public safety tool designed to help catch criminals, the cameras have faced significant backlash from civil rights activists over privacy concerns.

According to reports from various local and national news outlets, at least 18 police officers have either been arrested, fired, or placed under investigation for allegedly abusing data from Flock AI cameras to stalk their ex-partners. Investigators told 404 Media they believe the cases represent only the tip of the iceberg, suggesting that many incidents go unreported or are resolved informally with warnings rather than disciplinary action.

In one of the most egregious cases involving the misuse of Flock AI license plate readers, former Orange City, Florida police officer Jarmarus Brown was arrested in February. He is accused of repeatedly searching his ex-girlfriend's license plates more than 100 times to track her movements and of sharing videos of her vehicle using his official agency-issued laptop over a seven-month period in 2024.

In March, Milwaukee police officer Josue Ayala resigned after being accused by his ex-girlfriend of using Flock license plate readers to track her and her ex-partner across the city. He was later arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of attempted misconduct in public office for allegedly using his authorized access to search the Flock license plate database 179 times for personal reasons.

In a separate case dating back to 2024, former Sedgwick, Kansas police chief Lee Nygaard was accused of tracking his ex-girlfriend's vehicle 164 times between June and October 2023. He also allegedly ran her new boyfriend's license plate 64 times and physically followed the couple in his police vehicle. Nygaard eventually resigned and admitted his actions were motivated by jealousy.

Several other cases involving law enforcement officials using their access to stalk and harass former partners have been reported across the country over the past several years. Privacy advocates argue that the true number of incidents is likely significantly higher, as many cases go unreported or are handled internally by agencies to avoid potential legal liability.

In response to growing concerns over surveillance and abuse of power, several police departments have ended their contracts with Flock Safety. According to a recent report, 53 municipalities across 20 states have either rejected or deactivated Flock cameras, with the Atlanta-based company also accused of attempting to limit public access to information about police searches of its license plate database.