Body camera footage obtained by 404 Media reveals the first Flock camera searches ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge, highlighting how the system has turned routine traffic stops into interrogations. A federal judge ruled the use of license plate reader systems in the arrest of Melissa Kyle to be an "unconstitutional warrantless search" and a violation of the Fourth Amendment. Even though Kyle had over 91 pounds of meth in her vehicle, the police had no justifiable reason to search Flock for her license plate. The footage shows Tulsa County deputy sheriff Freddie Alaniz searching Flock while driving, pulling over Kyle solely because her car had California license plates. Alaniz interrogated her about her travel patterns, documented through 79 ALPR hits across multiple states. The judge ordered all evidence from Flock and the vehicle search to be thrown out.
The video shows Alaniz telling colleagues he ran her info on Flock and Vigilant [Motorola's ALPR system] after seeing her drive by. He pulled her over ostensibly for a lane violation but proceeded to question her extensively while reviewing her travel history on his in-car laptop.
The ALPR records show the rental car traveling through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California before returning through Oklahoma. Alaniz did not have access to California ALPR hits, possibly due to Flock limiting nationwide sharing following previous illegal searches.
This case sets a significant precedent regarding the constitutionality of automated license plate reader surveillance in routine traffic stops.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing