Institute for Justice documents 14 US cases of officers using ALPR networks to stalk romantic partners, calls for mandatory audit controls

A review by the Institute for Justice published 30 April 2026 has identified at least 14 documented cases across the US of police officers using automated licence plate reader networks to surveil and stalk romantic partners, including current partners, ex-partners and strangers encountered on duty. Cases span California, Wisconsin, Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, Kentucky and New Mexico, with the bulk of incidents since 2024. In the most recent case in Monroe County, Florida, a deputy allegedly used an ALPR system to track and pull over a woman he had met while working security on a TV production. In Costa Mesa, California, an officer who used a Flock Safety system to track his mistress and her other partners pleaded guilty to multiple criminal charges in April 2026. Nearly all officers involved were criminally charged and lost their jobs. The review identifies inadequate access controls, absence of audit requirements and no independent oversight of query logs as the structural failures enabling misuse. The cases collectively document a pattern of surveillance infrastructure being repurposed for personal use without any technical barrier preventing it.