NPR: Lenexa police investigated author of column criticizing the department. He's 'pissed off'

"...A KCUR investigation discovered the department used the city’s license plate readers to track the writer’s movements and it issued a “be on the lookout” for him.

On Oct. 21 the entire Lenexa, Kansas police patrol division was hunting Canyen Ashworth.

At 1:50 that afternoon, the department issued a BOLO — police shorthand for “be on the lookout” — for the 28-year-old information technology consultant and sometimes writer.

There were two problems. They didn’t have a charge, and he was the wrong man....."

https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-02-02/lenexa-police-investigated-column-writer-critical-failure-warn-ice-raid-councilwoman-investigation

#privacy #bigbrother #ALPR #flock

NPR:"....“She's using the city's license plate readers not to combat a wave of armed robberies, but to track down the everyday movements of an everyday citizen who dared to write the Kansas City Star and express their opinion,” Rhodes said...."

#alpr #privacy #bigbrother #freespeech #licenseplatereaders #flock

NPR:"....“She's using the city's license plate readers not to combat a wave of armed robberies, but to track down the everyday movements of an everyday citizen who dared to write the Kansas City Star and express their opinion,” Rhodes said...."

#alpr #privacy #bigbrother #freespeech #licenseplatereaders #flock

NPR: "...“This is MYOC,” Laffey said.

In Lenexa police parlance, MYOC is shorthand for “make your own case.” With no arrest warrant for Ashworth, police were looking for any reason to stop him.
... Chief Schmitz described MYOC this way: “You need to build your own probable cause, your own reasonable suspicion. It's pretty much that, make your own case.”

Kubic, from the ACLU, is especially worried about that.

“The idea that you can essentially just make something up to throw against the wall and see if it sticks to be able to go after someone, is a really chilling and dangerous thing,” he said..."

#privacy #ALPR #flock #bigbrother

ABC7: Mountain View suspends license plate readers; agencies accessed flock camera data without consent

"MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) -- The city of Mountain View is shutting down their license plate reader system, for now.

City officials say an audit discovered that for several months in 2024 - multiple federal agencies accessed data from a Flock license plate reader...."

https://abc7news.com/post/mountain-view-suspends-license-plate-readers-federal-agencies-accessed-flock-safety-camera-data-permission/18536718/

#flock #alpr #privacy

NPR: Lenexa police investigated author of column criticizing the department. He's 'pissed off'

"...A KCUR investigation discovered the department used the city’s license plate readers to track the writer’s movements and it issued a “be on the lookout” for him.

On Oct. 21 the entire Lenexa, Kansas police patrol division was hunting Canyen Ashworth.

At 1:50 that afternoon, the department issued a BOLO — police shorthand for “be on the lookout” — for the 28-year-old information technology consultant and sometimes writer.

There were two problems. They didn’t have a charge, and he was the wrong man....."

https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-02-02/lenexa-police-investigated-column-writer-critical-failure-warn-ice-raid-councilwoman-investigation

#privacy #bigbrother #ALPR #flock

ABC7: Mountain View suspends license plate readers; agencies accessed flock camera data without consent

"MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) -- The city of Mountain View is shutting down their license plate reader system, for now.

City officials say an audit discovered that for several months in 2024 - multiple federal agencies accessed data from a Flock license plate reader...."

https://abc7news.com/post/mountain-view-suspends-license-plate-readers-federal-agencies-accessed-flock-safety-camera-data-permission/18536718/

#flock #alpr #privacy

@igd_news
@dgfitch

So if I understand correctly, the goal is to slow / merge traffic enough to allow a "human #Flock camera" to do human-automatic license plate recognition on passing cars, check the license plate numbers against a (written?) database, and act accordingly if a match is found to known ICE plates.

Interesting. Legal?

It does suggest the idea of an Android / Termux / OpenALPR (or equivalent; it's open-ish now) script to do the same detection on a cellphone.

#Police Told to Be ‘as Vague as Permissible’ About Why They Use #Flock

Police officers are being told to “be as vague as permissible” about why they are using the Flock #surveillance system in order to not leak sensitive information via public records requests, according to records obtained using a public records request.
#privacy #flocksafety #foia

https://www.404media.co/police-told-to-be-as-vague-as-permissible-about-why-they-use-flock/

404 Media: Police Told to Be ‘as Vague as Permissible’ About Why They Use Flock
Jan 27, 2026 at 9:26 AM

The documents show law enforcement sees themselves as being consistently and universally under threat from the people it is supposed to protect.

https://www.404media.co/police-told-to-be-as-vague-as-permissible-about-why-they-use-flock/

#flock #privacy #policing #surveillance #bigbrother

#Police Told to Be ‘as Vague as Permissible’ About Why They Use #Flock

Police officers are being told to “be as vague as permissible” about why they are using the Flock #surveillance system in order to not leak sensitive information via public records requests, according to records obtained using a public records request.
#privacy #flocksafety #foia

https://www.404media.co/police-told-to-be-as-vague-as-permissible-about-why-they-use-flock/

404 Media: Police Told to Be ‘as Vague as Permissible’ About Why They Use Flock
Jan 27, 2026 at 9:26 AM

The documents show law enforcement sees themselves as being consistently and universally under threat from the people it is supposed to protect.

https://www.404media.co/police-told-to-be-as-vague-as-permissible-about-why-they-use-flock/

#flock #privacy #policing #surveillance #bigbrother