Former Michigan City police officer under investigation for Flock camera misuse
The Michigan City Police Department has launched an investigation into an officer for possible misuse of their Flock camera system.
The department said they discovered searches by the officer, who has not been named, that raised concerns about legitimacy during a routine audit of the system. The officer was placed on administrative leave as an investigation was launched, then resigned during the course of the investigation.
MCPD said their administrative review determined the officer had violated department policy in his searches, and said once the investigation is complete the matter will be sent to the LaPorte County Prosecutor's Office for them to determine if charges should be filed.
"Public trust requires transparency and accountability, particularly when the City uses technology that gives law enforcement access to sensitive information," Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch said in a news release. "Our residents have every right to expect that these tools will be used lawfully, ethically and only for legitimate public-safety purposes. When that trust is violated, we have a responsibility to identify it, address it and be transparent with the public about what occurred."
"Misuse of law-enforcement technology will not be tolerated," Police Chief Steven Forker said. "Our officers are entrusted with access to sensitive systems, and we expect that access to be used appropriately and only for legitimate law-enforcement purposes."
MCPD said it could not release any further details because of the ongoing investigation.
Flock cameras have come under increased scrutiny recently, with its CEO recently apologizing for instances in which data was misused by law enforcement. The Washington Post reported in early August about police officers accused in at least 46 instances of misusing Flock's license plate camera network for various reasons, including allegedly stalking women.
Illinois police officers in West Chicago, Channahon, Berkeley and Holiday Hills have all come under investigation for misusing Flock cameras. The Village of Homer Glen recently announced it has suspended the use of Flock cameras in the village. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, a now-former sheriff's deputy was charged with using Flock cameras to track a fellow deputy he was dating.
While some police departments have ended their contracts with Flock over concerns about how the company handles its data, others are expanding. The city of Harvey, Illinois, recently expanded their contract to include Flock Safety drones, and the Will County board renewed their contracts in several suburbs, including Mokena, Crete, Manhattan, Frankfort, Naperville and Wilmington.
