Shively Police officer arrested for allegedly stalking ex-partner using license plate readers

Asad Zahir, an officer with the Shively Police Department, has been arrested and suspended without pay following allegations that he used the department’s Flock license plate reader system to stalk his former partner. Court records indicate that Zahir conducted 2,048 searches on vehicles registered to the woman, who is the mother of his child, between January and May of this year. These searches spanned across Kentucky and Indiana.

Authorities noted that 241 of these searches occurred while an order of protection was active against Zahir. The misuse was detected by an AI-powered auditing tool implemented by Flock Safety, which is designed to flag abnormal activity. Zahir faces criminal charges, including official misconduct and unlawful access to a computer.

Shively Police Chief Andre Bottoms defended the utility of the technology for solving crimes and finding missing persons, but stated that the value of the tool does not excuse its misuse. The incident adds to a growing national debate regarding the privacy implications of license plate reader systems, with some municipalities choosing to cancel contracts due to concerns over surveillance and civil liberties.