2 Lynn, Massachusetts, officers placed on leave after city’s Flock system audit
Senior Digital Editor/Producer, WCVB.com
LYNN, Mass. —
Two Lynn, Massachusetts, police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave after an audit identified a “concerning pattern in some searches” conducted using the department’s license plate reader technology, police said.
Lynn police said they use license plate readers, including technology from Flock Safety, to locate and apprehend wanted people, investigate crimes, search for missing people and, in some cases, exonerate people who may have been falsely accused.
On Aug. 12, the department implemented Flock Safety’s Audit Assist tool, which is designed to review use of the system.
“During (the tool’s) initial use, the audit process identified anomalies in searches that required further review,” Lynn police said in a statement. “This review revealed a concerning pattern in some searches. As a result, two officers were placed on paid administrative leave and an Internal Affairs investigation was initiated.”
The department did not identify the officers or provide details about the searches under investigation.
Police said none of the searches flagged in the department’s analysis involved immigration enforcement.
In response to the findings, the department has restricted access to the Flock system to supervisory personnel with the rank of lieutenant or higher while it reviews its license plate reader policy.
Which Massachusetts communities have stopped using Flock cameras?
Hours after Lynn’s announcement, Hopkinton said it terminated its contract with Flock Safety after a legal review found the agreement did not comply with Massachusetts procurement law.
Hopkinton ordered the company to deactivate its cameras immediately and plans a broader review of police technology, including license plate readers, privacy protections and oversight.
Earlier this month, New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody said his department will temporarily stop using Flock as it conducts a thorough review of the department’s use of the technology and how to best ensure its secure use.
New Bedford’s announcement came after a city police officer was put on leave, accused of using the department’s Flock camera system to track her ex-girlfriend.
Last week, Littleton said it was pausing its use of the Flock camera system.
Earlier this year, Salem officials credited the readers with helping solve several cases, including the bombing of the Satanic Temple, but said they planned to seek an alternative vendor with different data privacy rules.
Framingham’s contract with Flock expired on June 30, and the cameras in that city were turned off.
Last year, the city of Cambridge severed its ties with Flock Safety after the company’s technicians allegedly deployed two cameras without the awareness of local officials.
What are the privacy concerns about Flock Safety cameras?
There have been mounting privacy concerns about Flock nationwide, along with reports of abuse by police.
A blog post from the company’s CEO, Garrett Langley, earlier this month announced new measures to strengthen privacy, accountability and security.
Those measures include requiring customers to use an auditing tool to flag abnormal search behavior, retaining license plate information for a week instead of a month, and giving cities and towns more control over data-sharing with other agencies.
In July, the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said that at least 80 police departments across the state had active contracts with Flock Safety.