# Law enforcement misuse of license plate readers

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/law-enforcement-misuse-of-license-plate-readers
> Updated: 2026-09-13T20:05:22.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 3.

Law enforcement officials in different jurisdictions have been arrested or disciplined following allegations of abusing Flock Safety license plate reader systems to track acquaintances or former partners.

In Shively, officer Asad Zahir was suspended and arrested after allegedly conducting over 2,000 searches on vehicles registered to his former partner, including 241 searches conducted while an order of protection was active. The misuse was identified by an AI-powered auditing tool.

In Albany County, investigator Laurie Moore was arrested for allegedly conducting over 4,000 unauthorized searches, including tracking a former girlfriend’s vehicle approximately 3,000 times. Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple described the incident as a “breach of that trust.” In response, the Sheriff’s Office implemented stricter access protocols and a 30-day audit process reviewed by Internal Affairs or leadership.

In San Jose, a police officer was fired for using a personal phone to access the Flock database without authorization to track a woman involved in a domestic abuse case involving the officer’s cousin. While the department referred the case for potential decertification, no criminal charges have been filed, as legal analysts noted the officer’s authorized access may not meet current criminal thresholds. Chief Paul Joseph called the incident a “severe betrayal of public trust” and called for state legislation to make such violations easier to prosecute. The San Jose Police Department has since prohibited system access via personal devices and is testing new auditing tools.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-13: San Jose police officer fired for misusing Flock camera data

A San Jose police officer was fired for using Flock license plate reader data to share a domestic abuse victim's location with a suspect who is his cousin.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/san-jose-police-officer-fired-for-misusing-flock-camera-data

### 2026-09-10: Albany County investigator arrested for allegedly abusing Flock cameras to track acquaintances

An Albany County Sheriff’s investigator, Laurie Moore, was arrested for allegedly using Flock license plate cameras to track a former girlfriend and other acquaintances thousands of times.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/albany-county-investigator-arrested-for-allegedly-abusing-flock-cameras-to-track-acquaintances

### 2026-08-26: Shively Police officer arrested for allegedly stalking ex-partner using license plate readers

A Kentucky police officer was arrested for allegedly using Flock license plate readers to track his ex-girlfriend over 2,000 times, highlighting ongoing concerns regarding surveillance technology misuse.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/shively-police-officer-arrested-for-allegedly-stalking-ex-partner-using-license-plate-readers

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Cite as: Law enforcement misuse of license plate readers. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/law-enforcement-misuse-of-license-plate-readers