Former Joplin Police Officer Flock Camera Misuse-September 3rd
The short version: A former Joplin, Missouri officer's reported misuse of Flock license plate reader data shows that insider abuse, not just hacking, is a real threat from ALPR networks.
Our Take
KOAM News Now's report out of Joplin is a reminder that the biggest danger of Flock Safety's camera network isn't always a hacker from the outside — it's the person who already has the login. When an officer can reportedly tap into a system that logs everyone's movements and use it for reasons that have nothing to do with an active investigation, that's not a glitch, it's the predictable outcome of building a nationwide database of where people drive and when.
Flock and local police departments love to tout audit logs and "policy" as safeguards, but policy only works if it's actually enforced, reviewed, and made public. Too often these systems are checked after the fact, if at all, and only come to light because a local newsroom digs in. Communities deserve to know how often their own officers are misusing this data, not just when it makes the news.
Credit to KOAM News Now for pushing this story into the open. If you want to see how many of these cameras are already watching your own neighborhood, check our camera map, and if you think your city council should be asking harder questions about oversight, our take action page has tools to help you push back.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of KOAM News Now, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.