Flock Cameras Wrongly Tracked Me for Days over 'Stolen' Plates
5 hours ago
- #surveillance technology
- #data error
- #police encounter
- A journalist and his wife were surrounded by police in a Kohl's parking lot after being mistaken for car thieves due to a license plate error.
- The Plymouth Police Department tracked the vehicle using Flock license plate cameras, alerted by a data-entry mistake where a lost plate was recorded as '34 DTM' instead of '34 03 DTM'.
- Flock's AI system failed to recognize the non-standard font of the small '10' on the New Jersey manufacturer plate, flagging any similar plate structure nationwide.
- The incident highlights the risks of widespread surveillance networks where errors can lead to dangerous police confrontations, despite the driver's cooperation and clean record.
- The police report later revealed the plate was misplaced during a photo shoot and not stolen, underscoring the avoidable nature of the ordeal.