Cops Are Using Flock Cameras To Stalk Women

Our Take

This conversation, hosted by Dinky Podcast with Ultraviolet campaign director Jenna Sherman, cuts to the heart of why we keep sounding the alarm on license plate readers: the technology doesn't just watch for stolen cars or Amber Alerts, it hands anyone with a badge and a login a searchable log of where a person has been. When that person is logging searches on an ex-partner, an estranged spouse, or someone who simply caught an officer's unwanted attention, 'public safety' becomes a euphemism for stalking with a badge number attached.

What makes this especially chilling is how little friction exists between curiosity and abuse. Flock's own audit trails and media reporting have repeatedly shown that lookups go unexamined for 'legitimate law enforcement purpose,' and departments rarely audit in real time. A network built on the promise of solving crimes becomes a tool that can enable them, especially for women trying to escape domestic violence, where an abuser in uniform or with a friend in uniform can simply ask for a plate search.

This is exactly why transparency and local pushback matter. Check our camera map to see what's recording near you, and if your city hasn't had a public debate about who can run these searches and why, that's the fight worth starting. Head to take action for templates and next steps.