An Indiana police officer misused a nationwide network of automated license plate readers to run hundreds of personal searches, according to documents in a case that ended in his arrest. Justin Craig, an officer with the Georgetown Police Department, is charged with official misconduct and two counts of fraud in connection with the Justin Craig Flock cameras arrest.
What the Records Show
Records cited in the documents indicate that Craig searched his wife’s license plate more than 80 times. He searched the plate of someone his wife had previously known nearly 250 times. The searches took place between January and July.
According to the documents, Craig did not leave the searches without explanation. He labeled them with categories meant to make them look like legitimate police work. The labels included traffic infractions, narcotics, assault and battery, theft, and stolen vehicles.
Internal Review Confirms Searches Had No Investigative Purpose
The Georgetown Police Department conducted an internal review of the searches. That review found the searches were unrelated to any police investigation. The department confirmed the misuse, and the documents show Craig intentionally mislabeled the searches to make them appear justified.
How the Case Came to Light
The investigation was triggered by a tip from a Washington Post reporter to the Georgetown police chief. The documents reporting the searches were later covered by the news outlet WLKY.
Charges and Legal Defense
Craig faces one charge of official misconduct and two counts of fraud. His attorney, Matthew Lemme, disputes the charges. Lemme has argued that the alleged conduct does not violate the law or department policy. He said Flock sells its technology to cities, homeowners associations, and shopping malls. Lemme also said that criticism of the technology has shifted to individual officers, and that the remedy should be to write laws or policies rather than to charge officers. Craig plans to file a motion to dismiss the charges.
The Scale of Flock's Camera Network
Flock provides automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, which photograph license plates to log vehicle movement. The network is extensive. About 120,000 Flock cameras are in use across the country, generating roughly 2 billion scans each month. Flock serves over 4,800 law enforcement agencies and nearly 1,000 businesses.
Broader Concerns and Other Misuse Cases
Flock faces bipartisan backlash over privacy and data-sharing concerns. The technology is intended for criminal investigations, but other officers in multiple states have been accused of misusing similar technology. Some of those officers were accused of stalking former partners or tracking abortion seekers. ICE also frequently uses the camera network, which has drawn criticism.
Flock's Response
In August, the CEO of Flock announced that the company would mandate audit features for law enforcement agencies. The exact features to be required have not been specified in the documents.
