Deer Park officer disciplined after misusing Flock cameras, department says
DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- The Deer Park Police Department said it took disciplinary action after an audit found that an officer had allegedly misused Flock cameras.
In a statement shared on Friday, Lt. Bryan Miller said that the department recently conducted an "internal organizational audit" that showed an officer had violated Deer Park PD's standards for using "law enforcement technology."
Miller said that after the matter was investigated, "substantial disciplinary action" was taken against the officer.
Miller added that the community's trust in the department is fundamental to Deer Park PD's mission and that the agency is committed to accountability.
Deer Park PD did not release the officer's name, what the alleged misuse was, or how the officer was disciplined.
On Thursday, Flock Safety announced it was making changes to its platform to quell privacy concerns and to combat documented abuses of its system by law enforcement officers. Critics reacted skeptically, saying the changes still leave room for abuses.
READ MORE: Flock announces changes amid backlash over its license plate reader network
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Several Houston-area law enforcement agencies, including Baytown and Pasadena, have announced that officers have been investigated for misuse of Flock cameras.
In Fort Bend County, a sheriff's deputy was suspended for looking up the same person's plate 41 times and another person's plate 148 times.
Flock cameras are a hot topic in city council meetings, where residents of Conroe have recently demanded more transparency about the cameras' use, and in League City, where the mayor recently proposed a vote on its police department's continued use of license plate readers.
In Houston, Flock cameras have been destroyed, and residents have asked Harris County commissioners to cancel contracts with Flock Safety.
