Jarmarus Brown, a police officer in Orange City, Florida, was charged with stalking and unauthorized access to a computer system after he used the Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system to track his ex-girlfriend's vehicle on multiple occasions. Court records indicate that Brown accessed her license plate information at least 69 times, as well as that of her family members. His colleague, Officer Shadrich King, observed Brown using the system and warned him against it. Brown admitted to investigators that he used the Flock system to monitor his ex-girlfriend because he believed she was lying about her whereabouts. He was sentenced to one day in prison and five years of probation.
This case is part of a broader trend, with reports indicating that at least 18 officers across the United States have misused the Flock system to stalk romantic interests. The Institute for Justice conducted a study highlighting these incidents, while the ALPR Abuse Library documented 20 specific cases of stalking. Flock stated that it is aware of 15 incidents of abuse and emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability features in its platform. The company encourages law enforcement agencies to implement usage policies and training to prevent misuse.
