Police officer arrested after using Flock cameras to track boyfriend's ex-wife
Iredell County Sheriff's Office
A North Carolina police officer was arrested and charged after it was found that she used the city's license plate reader cameras to track her boyfriend’s ex-wife.
What we know:
Mooresville Police Officer Elizabeth Snowman has been charged with Accessing Computers after investigators said she used the department's Flock license plate reader (LPR) camera system for personal reasons.
According to authorities, an internal audit of the department's LPR system found Snowman accessed the database 31 times for personal purposes.
Dig deeper:
Investigators also allege that Snowman denied using the system for personal reasons when questioned during the investigation.
In a news conference, Police Chief Ron Campurciani said on at least two different occasions Snowman accessed the cameras while she was off-duty.
Snowman was booked into the Iredell County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond.
License plate readers and Flock cameras
Big picture view:
Several states around the country have installed automated license plate readers made by Flock Safety to capture and log vehicles as a crime prevention tool.
Privacy groups are critical of the technology, arguing that LPRs illegally track everyday movements of the public without a warrant. Also concerned about how that information is stored and shared.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Mooresville Police Department. This story was reported from Orlando.