City Sued Over Multiple Erroneous Flock LPR Camera-Based Stops
Three individuals — two whose license plate was allegedly misread by a Flock Safety LPR camera and a third whose vehicle was allegedly mistaken for another by an officer reviewing Flock camera footage – are suing a New Mexico city over traffic stops.
The three people, two of whom were minors, were treated as potentially violent suspects and held at gunpoint before police recognized the errors and released them, according to complaints filed in a New Mexico state court.
In the report, we examine the lawsuits and the incidents at issue, LPR error rates, the responsibility of police, and Flock's response to the allegations.
Executive *******
** ****** *********** ************ **** ** LPR ************, *** ******* ********* *** risks ** ******** ***** *** ******* based ** ******* ******* ******. ******** rates **** ********* ** *** ******, the **** ** ******* ***** *********, the ****** ** *** *****, *** whether ******* ****** *** ********.
*******, *** ****** ****** ** **** to ****** *** ******* ********** ****** since **** *** ***** ******* ** alphanumeric ********** **** *** ** **** by * ****** ******* ** ***** vehicles ** ****** **** *** *** wrongfully ********* ****** ***** ** ** LPR ****** *****. **** ** ************* different *** **** ********** ****, *.*., facial ***********, ***** ** ** *** harder ** ********* ** * ****** matches * ****** *********** ****** *****.
***** ***** ** *** * ********* in *** ******** ********, ******* ***** ****** ** ******* **** over** ******* ******** **** ***** ** an ***-******* *****. ** **** ***, Michael *****, ******* ** *** ******* and ******** *** ** ******* ***** on ******** *********** *********** *** ***** to ********* ********* **** ** *** a “*******” ** * “*** ****.” The ******** ******** ***** ***** ******** he *** *** ****** ** ********** with ** *************.
**** **** ******** ** ****, ****** by *** ******* *** ** ***** LPR ******* ********* * *********** ********* risk *** ****** *********** *** * threat ** ***** *********. ***** ****** LPR ***** ********* ** * ******** detention, ******, ** *** ** ***** by ****** *** *** ********* ** become * ***** ***** ******* **************. As *** **** **** *****, *** companies *** **** ** **** **** the ******.
*************** *** *** **** ** ******** did *** ***** ** *** ******** for *******.
**********
- ***** ***** ****** *** ***** *** Not ******** *****
- ***** **** ** *** ******** **** LPR "*** ****" *****
- ***** ******** ** "*** ****" ***** Lawsuit
- *** ***** ** ******** *** ********** (Flock *** ********) ********
- ***** ****** ******* $*** *******, ********* Now ** $*.* *******
Alleged ***** ****** *****
*** ** *** ***** ** *** recent ******** ******* ********, *** ******, involved *** *******, *** ** **** was ** ***** ***, ***** ******* plate *** ********* ******* ** * Flock ******, ********* ** ***** ***** complaints (*** ********** ******'* ************* *** ******** ******'* ********* ****).
*** ***** ****** *** ******* *** Kia ******, *** *** ******* ****** was ****** ** *** ********* **** on **** **, ****, **** **** passed ******* ** ************ ***** * Flock ****** *** *******, ********* ** the **********. *** ******* ******* **** the ****** ******* ***** ******* *****, BLGP02, ** ****** – * ******* plate *** * ******* **** *** reported ** ******.
******* ** * “*****” *** * stolen *******, ****** ******** ******* *** sisters' ***. * ****** ******** **** the ******* ***** ****** **** *** phone ** * ********** **** ******* the ******* ****, *** ** *** not **** *** ************ ** ******* it ******* *** ***** ***** ****** proceeding **** *** ******* ****, ********* to *** **********.
**** * *** *****, ** ******* ordered *** ***** ****** *** ** the *** *** ******* *** ** kneel ** *** ******** ***** ******* officer ******* *** ******* ****** ***, handcuffed ***, *** *** *** ** the **** ** * ****** *******, according ** *** *********.
****** ********* ********* *********** * ****** time, ********* *** ********* ***** ****** from *** ***** ***** ******* ** the ******* ***** **** *** ******** license *****, ****** ********** ********* *********** with *** *******'* ***, ********* ** the **********.
*** *** ********* ******** *** **** license ***** ****** ** *** *** and **** * ******* *** **** made ** *** ***** *********, ********* to *** *******’ **********.
*** ********** *********:
*** ******** ****hypothesize **** *** ***** ****** **** **** '****' *** *********'* ******* ***** *********** because a clear license plate cover obscured, in their opinion, the bottom of the number 2, making it appear to be a 7.
**********, ******** ******** ********** **** *********'* vehicledid *** **** *** ****** ******* ***** that Rio Rancho Police had reported.
******** ******** ******** *** *********'* ******,explained **** ** *** **** ********, then told the Plaintiff that the clear cover on her license plate made the last number look like a '7' *** *** *** '*' **** ** ***. [Emphasis Added.]
Alleged ******* *****
******* ******* ******* ******** ***** **** a ******** ******* **** ********* * 17-year-old **** ****** *******. *** ******** was ******* * ***** ****** ****** truck ** **:** ** ** ***. 15, ****, **** ****** ******** * “BOLO” (“** ** *** *******”) ***** about *** *******, ******** **** ** had **** ********** ** * ****** of ***** *********, ********* ** *** complaint.
** ******* ********* * “****** ****” of *** ********, ******** *** ** gunpoint ** *** *** ** *** car, ***** ** *** ********, *** place *** ***** ** *** ** his ****, *** ********* *******. *** teenager *** **********, “******* **** **** to ***,” *** ******** ***** *** officers ********** **** ** *** *** the ********** ****** ** ********** **** the *********, ********* ** *** *********. At **** *****, ** *** ********.
* ****** *** *** ******** ** well ** *** *** *******,***** **********, **** **** **** ** ******* issued *** "****" ***** ******* ******* from * ***** *** ****** *** mistaking *** ******* *** *** ****** vehicle. *** **** *** *** ***** on * ******* ***** *****. *** provided **** **** * ***** ** the *******.
********** **** **:
*** ******* ********** [*** ****’*]'* *****by ********* ***** ******* *** ****** * ***** **** ** ******* ******** ******* *** *********** ** *** *******'* *******. There were differences in the description of the suspect's vehicle and [the teen’s]'s vehicle (as seen in the FLOCK footage) but the officer wrongly concluded that they were the same truck. Human ***** ** *** ******* ***** *** ***** ****** ** ****** ******** **** *** ****** ******* ** ************ **** *** ***** *****. The officer then used the photo FLOCK snapped of [the teen’s]'s truck to create a BOLO for [the teen’s]'s truck. [Emphasis Added.]
Tort ****** ***
*** ***** *********** *** ***** *** city ***** *** *****’***** ****** ***, ***** *********** ************* **** ****** can ******* ******* **** ***** ********** employees *** ******** ******. *** ********** alleged **** *** ****** ********’ ********* acts ******** ** ********** ** ************** rights ******* ******* ****** *** *******, caused ***** ********* “*******, ****, *****, and *********** ** ********.”
* ******* ***** *** *********** *********, 41-4-12, ******:
*** ******** ******* ******** ** ********** A ** ******* **-*-* **** **** does *** ***** ** ********* ***personal ******, ****** ******, ******** ***** ** ******** ****** ********* **** *******, *******, ***** ************, ***** ******, ********* ***********, ***** ** *******, libel, slander, defamation of character, violation of property rights or deprivation ** *** ******, ********** ** ********** ******* ** *** ************ *** **** ** *** ****** ****** or New Mexico when caused by law enforcement officers while acting within the scope of their duties. [Emphasis Added.]
Reasonable *********
** ****** **** *** ****** ********* of *** ************, ****** **** **** "reasonable *********" ** **** * ******* stop ** ****** *******.
** *********** ** ******,"********** *********"***** **** ****** ******** **** ******* specific *********** **** ** ********** *** either ********* * ***** ** ** in *** ******* ** ********** ***. Examples ******* ** ******* ********** ******* violations **** ** ******** ** ******** an ********** ******* **********.
** ******** ******* *********** ******* **** a ******* ******* * ******** *********** of *** **** *** **** ****** to * *****, *** *********** *** also **** ***** ** ********** ********** suspicion. *******, ****** ********** ******** ********* require ******** ** ******* *** ****** before ****** * ****.
***** *** ****** *************** ** ************* ** *******'* ****** ** ******* Assistance****** *** *********:
******* ** **LPR ***** for a stolen or felony vehicle may *** **** ** *** ***** ** ********** ********* *** ** *** ********** ******** ***** ** ****** ******* ************ **** *** ***** ** ***** ***** *** ******. If the alert is for another type of transaction, the officer will read the description of the alert and follow the appropriate action or reporting method.If ** *** ***** ****** ** ******** **** ******** *** *** ********, **** *** *********** ****** *** *** ** *** ***** *** ** ****** ** ********. [Emphasis Added.]
Ruling ** ****
*** *** ****** ** ******* ********** policy ******** * ************ **** ****** by ******** ******* ***** ** *******, ***** ********** * **** ******* San ********* ****** **** *** **** thrown *** ** * ***** *****. The ******* ***** ********* **** **** “hits" ****** ** ** ******** ** constitute ********** *********.
*** **** *** ** ****** ** a **-****-*** ***** **** ** ******** record *** *** **** ** ******** by ****** *** ********** ***** ** ALPR ****** ******* ********** *** ******* as ******. ******** ****** ** ******** confirm ******* *** ***** ******* *** stolen ******* ****** ********** * ****, according ** *** ******* ***** *******. The ******* *** **** **** ** a ***** ***** *** ********* ** mutual ********* ** *** ******* ** 2015.
* ****** ******** **** ********** *********, probable *****, ** ******** ***** *** Fourth ********* ** **** ** ******. Flock ******** ********* ** ** ****** 2023 **** ***** ********** **** *** “custom *** ****” ******, “*****” ****** not ** **** ** ******** *****. It *** *** ******* *** ******** about ******* *** ****** *** ****** to ********** *********.
Flock ********
***** ** ** *** * ********* in *** ********, ***** *** ********** in **** *****, *** ** ******* malfunction ** *** ********** *** ****** for *** ** *** *****. ** contacted ***** *** ********* ******* ** the *********** *** *********** ** *** accuracy *****. * ************** *** *** company *******:
*********** ********** ** ****-**-*****, ************ ********** above ***** ******* ** ****-**-**** ***** on ***** ***** *** ********. ** addition,encourages ******** ** ***** * ****** ** ******-***** *** ******, **** ******* *** **** ** ***** ******* *** *** ******, ***** ************ ** *** *****/******* ** ********.Given that neither of these lawsuits name ******* * *****, ** **** ** comment ** ******. [******** *****.]
**** ***** *** ********* ***** *****'* performance ** *** ********** *****, *** spokesperson *******:
Unfortunately, ** ***'* **** ******. The accuracy of any public safety technology may vary depending on a myriad of factors including location, time of day, weather, plate design, volume of traffic, angle of the devices, and what a user is trying to identify (plate number, color, make, model, etc). Falcon **** ************ ******* ** ****-**-***** ****** *** *** **** ** ********** ********* *** ******* ******** **********. [Emphasis Added.]
LPR ***** *****
**** ****** *********** ********* ******** ** license ***** ***** ** *** **, the ****** ** **** ***** ***** rates ******* *********. ************* ******** ********** ***** ** * survey**** *** *** *********** ******** ************ scanned ***** *.* ******* *** ****** in **** *** **** ********. ** project ******* ***** *** **** ******** times ****** ** *** ***** *** exploded ** *** **** **** *****, including **** *** ************ ****** ** Flock.
**** ******** ********* *** *****'* ***** and **** *** *********** **** -*** ******** - ******** ****, ****, Genetec, ******, ********, *****, *******(****** ***** ******* ** ***** ** to *** *** ***** ********* *** this ****).
*** ******** ***** **** ***** ******* may **** ******** ***** **** ***% in ******* **********, ******** *** *** systems ******* ** ** ** ********** points **** ****** **** ********* ******* or ********* ********.
**********
***** *** ******* ******* *** *********** with * ***** ***** ** *********** vehicles **** ** *****, ******** ****** safety ********, ****-******** ** *** ******* introduces *** ********* *** ****** ******* to ******** ***** *** *******.
******* *** "*** *****" *** **** to ***** ******** **** *** ****** stolen ** ******** ** ***** ******** such ** ********** *** ***** *******, police *** **** ****** ** ******"******" **** ********** ***** ******** — *********** ********** with **** ***** *** ******** * suspect ** ****** **** *** ***** and *********. **** ********** ******* ****, felony ***** *** ****** ** ******** shooting *** **** ******* ******* ******** over ***************** ** ***-**********.
*** ******** ******* ******** **** *** police ******* ** *** ** ********* LPR "****" ** ****** ******* *** not ****** ********* ** ****** *** information. **** *********** *** ********** ** high ******** **** *** ********* *** more ******** ****** ** *** ****** to ******* ******** *****.
*********** ********** ** ****-**-*****, ************ ********** above ***** ******* ** ****-**-**** ***** on ***** ***** *** ********.
***** ** *****....
* ***** ***** ****** **** "******" the ******** **** **** ******* ** allow **** ** *** *** ********* for ***** *** ********** *****.
****** **** **** ** ****** **** Flock *** *** ******* *** ********* about *** ********, ****** "** ***'* that ******", ***** **** ******** "*********** ********** ** ****-**-*****, ************ ********** above ***** ******* ** ****-**-**** ***** on ***** ***** *** ********."?
******* ***** *** ******** ****** ** being **** ******** **** ** **, giving ****** ******** ***** ********** ** its ********* ********. * ****** ** the *** ******* *** ********* ******** of **** ******* ***** ***********. ******* the *** ****** ******** *** ** fault ****, *** ******* **** ** the *** ********* *** ***** ********* about ***** ************.