Following the arrest of a Lufkin police officer accused of misusing Flock safety cameras, the sheriff has a message for the community.
LUFKIN, Texas — Flock safety cameras used by the Lufkin Police Department have been taken offline following the arrest of a police officer accused of misusing the system. Authorities say another officer remains under investigation and has been placed on administrative leave.
Angelina County Sheriff Tom Selman says investigators believe the alleged misconduct is an isolated incident.
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“My biggest message on this would be that I believe, and we believe, this is an isolated case,” said Selman.
Texas Rangers arrested Zach Klein, an 11-year veteran of the Lufkin Police Department, on the morning of Aug. 20. Klein is charged with abuse of official capacity and tampering with a government record. He was booked into the Angelina County Jail.
According to authorities, the department became aware of potential issues involving the use of Flock Automated License Plate Reader technology and launched an audit. Investigators say they discovered system access that was not connected to a criminal investigation. A second officer remains under investigation.
The case is reigniting debate about Flock cameras throughout East Texas. Some critics want the cameras removed, citing privacy concerns, while law enforcement officials maintain the technology is an important crime-fighting tool.
Supporters of the system argue that the cameras help detectives identify suspect vehicles, recover stolen property and locate missing persons.
“There’s pushback on some of these camera systems, but they are critical for detectives and investigators trying to solve crimes and recover missing persons,” said Selman.
Retired FBI Agent Richard Kolko says privacy concerns are understandable, but notes that courts have generally ruled that drivers do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy while traveling on public roadways.
“When it comes down to your expected right of privacy, we know that courts have said that on the streets. You don’t have privacy,” said Kolko.
Kolko says access to Flock data is controlled and logged, creating a record of who accesses the system and why.
“I’ve heard many stories of people asking FBI agents, or police officers or others, ‘Hey, I just hired somebody to work in my house’ or ‘somebody to take care of my children. Can you check to see if they’ve got any record or any investigations?’ That’s against the rules,” said Kolko.
Selman says the case demonstrates that law enforcement agencies are willing to investigate and hold officers accountable when technology is misused.
“I would just ask that the public see and realize that we are policing our own and that this kind of conduct will not stand. And that good departments and good officers are not going to abuse this information. No one is being tracked,” said Selman.
The Lufkin Police Department has suspended the use of Flock cameras while both the criminal and internal investigations continue. Officials say no additional details are being released at this time.
ZKlein remains charged with abuse of official capacity and tampering with a government record. The investigations by the Texas Rangers and Lufkin Police Department remain ongoing.