USA TODAY reports that Laurie Moore, 47, a 13-year veteran of the Albany County Sheriff's Office, was arrested on September 9 for allegedly running more than 4,000 unauthorized searches with the company's system. The searches involved five acquaintances, USA TODAY reports.
How did the sheriff's office find out?
Apple told reporters the agency learned of the alleged crimes on September 4, after an outside source prompted an investigation. USA TODAY says the conduct began in 2024. Moore is a senior investigator in the agency's criminal investigation unit.
Sheriff Craig Apple said at a news conference that Moore used the system "with no lawful purpose" to track her ex's vehicle at least 3,000 times, and ran four other plates hundreds of times each. Apple said the case shows that "when somebody abuses that trust, we'll hold them accountable." Apple also called it "a gut punch."
What are the charges?
- Charges: falsifying business records and official misconduct, both misdemeanors
- Employment: placed on administrative leave
- Next court date: September 24
USA TODAY reports that it was not immediately clear whether Moore had a lawyer.
What do Flock Safety cameras do?
USA TODAY describes Flock Safety's cameras as tracking, scanning and preserving license plate numbers in a searchable database that police and others can access. The ACLU estimates the company has installed about 120,000 cameras across the country, according to USA TODAY.
USA TODAY also reports on its own review of Flock audit logs from 124 law enforcement agencies. That review found what it calls potentially improper or illegal use, which led to arrests, firings and investigations. Flock's CEO, Garrett Langley, said police misusing the system "will get caught." USA TODAY says that came about two weeks after Flock changed its policies for law enforcement. USA TODAY does not describe those changes.
Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon called the system "invaluable" at the same news conference. Kindlon said it should be protected from misuse.
What changes for drivers?
USA TODAY does not say whether the Albany County Sheriff's Office has paused, reduced or changed its use of Flock cameras. It also does not say how many cameras the county runs.
The charges concern one officer's searches. USA TODAY does not report a change to the policy for any other agency's cameras. To see which cameras are mapped near you, check the camera map. For background on how these readers work, read how plate readers work.
The next event in the case is the September 24 court date. The charges are allegations, and USA TODAY does not say how the case will be resolved.