Cop Use FLOCK Cameras To Stalk

Our Take

Mak-Tube's clip is only a few seconds long, but it lands on the exact failure mode we keep flagging: these networks are built on trust, and trust breaks the moment a badge decides the database is a personal lookup tool. Flock's own sales pitch leans on 'audit trails' and 'policy safeguards,' yet it's always a reporter or a leaked internal complaint — not the company — that surfaces the misuse after the fact.

Stalking cases matter more than the usual 'should police have this tool' debate because they show what happens when the tool works exactly as designed, just pointed at the wrong target. A patrol car's plate reader doesn't know the difference between 'investigating a stolen vehicle' and 'checking up on an ex.' The only thing standing between those two uses is an officer's self-restraint and a department's willingness to actually review logs instead of letting them pile up unread.

If there's a camera like this near you, it's worth knowing it's there before it becomes someone's personal tracking device — check the map and see what you can do about it at take action.