Indianapolis police officers charged in Flock camera scandal

Court proceedings have commenced for five Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers facing charges related to the misuse of Flock Safety’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology. The officers are accused of conducting unauthorized searches of vehicles belonging to strangers, ex-partners, and intimate associates.

Among those charged are Michael Rogers, Matthew Binford, Abigail Cramer, and Cassandra Crawley, who face counts of fraud and official misconduct. Cramer has resigned, while the others have been suspended with recommendations for termination. Officer Jonathan Schultz, an 18-year veteran, faces additional stalking charges. Prosecutors allege Schultz used surveillance data to track women, including an acquaintance from a gym, performing 178 searches on one individual over three months.

These incidents reflect a broader national trend of ALPR misuse. Reports indicate similar cases of surveillance abuse in North Carolina and California, where officers used the technology to track private citizens or share data with unauthorized individuals. The Institute for Justice has recorded at least 244 separate cases of police abuse involving ALPRs across the United States.