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As officers face misuse allegations, police departments rethink Flock cameras

Police in some Massachusetts communities are reviewing how their departments use the controversial license plate reading technology.

At least four officers at three police departments in Massachusetts are being investigated for allegedly misusing license plate reader technology.

Some departments are either pausing their use of Flock Safety cameras or getting rid of them altogether because of community privacy concerns.

The camera technology can help police find vehicles in ongoing criminal investigations and missing person or Amber Alert cases. But now, several police departments, including in New Bedford, Stow and Lynn, are investigating officer misuse of Flock Safety plate readers.

"I think it's unnecessary altogether," said Susan Murphy, who works in Norwood, where there are Flock Safety cameras.

"You start going down that road, surveillance," said Steve Reichert of Norwood. "A little bit here, a little bit there, and then you lose it all."

Another Massachusetts police department is putting its Flock Safety license plate reader cameras on pause, this time for violations by its own police officers misusing the technology — the New Bedford Police Department is looking into whether one of its officers used the technology to track her ex’s girlfriend’s vehicle.

Protests prompted the New Bedford City Council, which was hearing the allegations of misuse by one of their police officers this week, to shut down its meeting on Thursday.

"As part of our initial response, access to the Flock system has been restricted to supervisory personnel," Lynn Police Chief Christopher Reddy wrote in a statement. "The Department's License Plate Reader policy is under review to ensure that appropriate safeguards, accountability measures, and oversight procedures are in place."

Gov. Maura Healey supports effective technology for law enforcement, but says it has to come with assurances.

"You can't violate people's rights; you can't violate their privacy," said Healey.

Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association Executive Director Michael Bradley is advising their members to adopt strong policies and guardrails.

"This is a great tool for investigations," Bradley said, also suggesting "having a policy in place that deters misuse, and holds people accountable, and removes that technology from that use if it is misused."

East Bridgwater police announced this week they are pulling out of their contract with Flock Safety before it was up and running. Chief Michael Jenkins said it is a valuable tool for public safety, but community confidence is equally important.

"There will also be times when we determine that the risks, concerns, or lack of public confidence warrant taking a different approach," he wrote. "Responsible leadership means being willing to reassess decisions when circumstances change."

Flock Safety, the largest provider of license place camera technology, says it has added more features to help police departments audit who is using the system more quickly.

By Robert Goulston