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Calif. cop fired after using Flock to track woman, chief says
SFGATE • • nation
Key Points:
- The San Jose Police Department fired an officer in April for abusing the department’s Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system to help his cousin track a woman who accused the cousin of domestic violence.
- The officer used his personal phone to collect and share vehicle data of the woman, enabling her location to be tracked, prompting an internal investigation and termination.
- This incident marks the third known case in California where law enforcement officials misused ALPR technology to stalk women, following similar cases in Riverside and Orange counties.
- In response, SJPD has banned officers from accessing ALPR systems on personal devices and is testing new tools to detect improper data access.
- The use of ALPRs by SJPD has faced legal challenges, including a 2025 lawsuit by the ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation demanding warrants for data access, citing privacy concerns over tracking individuals’ movements.
