LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS: HOW POLICE STALKD WOMEN IN SECRET

Our Take

Smart World's video digs into a pattern we've flagged for a while: license plate readers don't just watch criminals, they watch everyone, and that includes the officers with access to the database. When a system logs every car that passes a camera, it becomes a ready-made tool for anyone with a badge and a bad motive — whether that's an ex-partner, a jealous spouse, or someone running a personal vendetta. The marketing says "public safety." The access logs tell a different story.

This isn't a hypothetical. Departments across the country have quietly disciplined or fired officers for misusing ALPR and similar surveillance tools to track women without any legal justification. The scary part isn't just that it happens — it's how little most residents know about who can query these cameras, under what rules, and with what oversight. Flock Safety and similar vendors keep expanding coverage while audit trails and accountability measures lag far behind.

Credit to Smart World for putting a human face on what's usually discussed in abstract policy terms. If you want to see how dense this surveillance net has gotten in your own town, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back against unchecked plate tracking, our take-action page has concrete steps.