Story perspectives

50 US Officers Accused of Stalking via License-Plate Readers

8/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

50 U.S. officers have been charged or accused of misusing Flock license-plate readers to stalk targets.
Police records show 46 cases used Flock’s network of over 120,000 cameras in 6,000 communities, scanning about 20 billion plates monthly.
Twenty-six cases involved officers tracking spouses or ex-partners, including Georgia chief Michael Steffman who searched his ex-girlfriend’s and her daughter’s plates about 600 times, was arrested in November and died by suicide in April.

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Story summary

50 U.S. officers have been charged or accused of misusing Flock license-plate readers to stalk targets.
Police records show 46 cases used Flock’s network of over 120,000 cameras in 6,000 communities, scanning about 20 billion plates monthly.
Twenty-six cases involved officers tracking spouses or ex-partners, including Georgia chief Michael Steffman who searched his ex-girlfriend’s and her daughter’s plates about 600 times, was arrested in November and died by suicide in April.