Full Breakdown
Indianapolis Police Officers Charged Over Misuse of License-Plate Reader System
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On June 13, 2024, court records revealed that five Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers—Michael Rogers, Jonathan Schultz, Cassandra Crawley, Matthew Binford and Abigail Cramer—were charged by the Marion County prosecutor’s office with fraud, official misconduct and, for Schultz, two counts of stalking. The charges stem from alleged personal use of the department’s Flock automated license-plate reader (ALPR) system. Prosecutors say Schultz, an 18-year veteran, used the system to track multiple women, including his ex-wife, and to locate a woman at a gym in 2023, later contacting her under false pretenses. He is also accused of searching a vehicle’s plate more than 170 times over three months and leaving a note on the car. Other officers are alleged to have used the ALPR to investigate personal contacts, with Cramer reportedly searching relatives of her wife’s ex-wife. All five face felony and misdemeanor counts; three have been suspended with termination recommended, and Cramer resigned.
Background & Context
Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based firm, supplies ALPR technology to law-enforcement agencies nationwide, operating more than 120,000 cameras. Misuse allegations have surfaced in other jurisdictions, including a Kentucky officer arrested for tracking an ex-girlfriend over 2,000 times and six Savannah, Georgia employees dismissed in August. The Washington Post reported that at least fifty officers across the United States have faced charges for illegal ALPR use. IMPD’s internal policy on ALPR searches was updated only after the alleged misconduct, now requiring each query to be tied to a specific case number and strengthening audit logs.
Official Statements & Responses
A Flock spokesperson said the company considers any misuse “unacceptable” and is investing in safeguards and audit capabilities to detect improper searches.
Data & Statistics
- Officers charged: 5
- Service tenure among them: 4–18 years
- One officer’s alleged searches: >170 times in three months
- Flock’s national footprint: >120,000 ALPR units
- Reported nationwide ALPR misuse cases: at least 50 officers
Verbatim Quotes
- “These individuals' actions went far beyond a clerical error or a violation of department policy. These actions crossed into criminal conduct and shook the foundation of trust that our agency is built upon,” — Chief Tanya Terry “These individuals' actions went far beyond a clerical error or a violation of department policy. These actions crossed into criminal conduct and shook the foundation of trust that our agency is built upon,” — Chief Tanya Terry
- “Misuse of any law enforcement tool is unacceptable, and we will continue investing in safeguards that help agencies detect misuse and hold users accountable.” — Department’s Flock, spokesperson “Misuse of any law enforcement tool is unacceptable, and we will continue investing in safeguards that help agencies detect misuse and hold users accountable.” — Department’s Flock, spokesperson