Ross County Treasurer David Jeffers is pushing back against the common claim that people who have done nothing wrong have nothing to fear from Flock Safety automated license plate readers.
In a recent statement, Jeffers acknowledged that the cameras can help solve crimes and recover stolen vehicles. He focused instead on documented cases in which the technology has gone wrong.
The Institute for Justice has identified at least 27 cases since 2018 in which ALPR errors led to innocent people being stopped, detained at gunpoint, arrested, or jailed. Many involved Flock cameras.
In Toledo, a Flock camera misread a “7” as a “2” on Brandon Upchurch’s plate in 2024. Officers stopped him at gunpoint, released a K-9 that bit him, and jailed him. Charges were dropped. The city later settled for $35,000.
In Morristown, Tennessee, a Flock camera misread an “O” as a “0.” Officers detained two grandparents at gunpoint while their 3-year-old granddaughter watched from the car.
In Florida, an innocent driver spent 13 days in jail after officers relied on erroneous Flock data linking her vehicle to a deadly crash.
Jeffers also pointed to cases of officers misusing the systems for personal reasons. A Florida officer allegedly searched his estranged wife’s plate more than 700 times. A South Carolina officer was fired after 166 searches of an ex-partner’s plate. A North Carolina officer was arrested after 31 searches targeting her boyfriend’s ex-wife.
Chillicothe Police operate Flock cameras in Ross County. Jeffers asked supporters of the technology whether the documented errors and misuse still leave them comfortable with the claim that innocent people have nothing to worry about.
