<p>An Indiana county prosecutor has charged five current and former Indianapolis police officers with fraud and misconduct for misusing the city’s Flock Safety automated license plate readers.</p>
<p>The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) announced on September 23, 2026, that an internal audit of the department’s automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) found that five officers had misused the technology. Following investigations into the incident and the initial revocation of the officers’ access to the systems, IMPD Chief Tanya Terry suspended and recommended terminating four of the officers, while one officer had already resigned.</p>
<p>“Today is a deeply disheartening and disappointing day for IMPD,” Terry stated. “These individuals’ actions went far beyond a clerical error or a violation of department policy. These actions crossed into criminal conduct and shook the foundation of trust that our agency is built upon.”</p>
<p>The officers charged are Michael Rogers, Jonathan Schultz, Cassandra Crawley, Matthew Binford, and Abigail Cramer. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office charged each officer with fraud and misconduct, while Schultz was also charged with stalking. Cramer resigned from the police force before she could be suspended.</p>
<p>The IMPD did not specify how each officer allegedly abused the Flock cameras, but indicated that they are in discussions with Indiana state legislators to establish more regulations on police use of the technology.</p>
<p>“IMPD supports legislation that guides proper use of this technology while leveraging it to reduce violent crime, save lives, and reunite loved ones,” the IMPD stated. “Conversations with legislators are already underway ahead of the next session.”</p>
<p>Indianapolis is not the first city to face issues with officials misusing cameras intended for public safety. In August, three former police officers in Bibb County, Georgia, were charged with allegations of misusing cameras to track individuals while serving in law enforcement.</p>
<p>A Senate Judiciary subcommittee held a hearing on the topic, but the CEOs of Flock Safety and its industry counterparts declined to participate, according to Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO).</p>