A San Jose police officer has been dismissed from his role after using the department's Flock license plate tracking system to provide a woman's location to the individual accused of abusing her. Police Chief Paul Joseph confirmed the firing to NBC Bay Area on Friday.
The officer reportedly accessed Flock camera data last year without authorisation on his personal phone, concerning the vehicle of a woman allegedly abused by a family member. He then sent this information to his cousin, who is the suspect in the domestic abuse case, according to Joseph.
Police discovered the unauthorised access when the woman informed them that her alleged abuser knew her location. The department placed the officer on administrative leave and initiated a criminal investigation. Chief Joseph expressed his anger at the officer's actions, stating he was "furious that an officer would betray the public's trust in that manner."
The San Jose police department has referred the case to the Santa Clara county district attorney's office, but the officer has not been charged with a crime. The department also referred the officer to the commission on peace officer standards and training, which could prevent him from working in law enforcement again in the state.
This incident is part of a growing number of misuse cases involving license plate reading technology, which has expanded rapidly and drawn criticism over privacy concerns and mass surveillance.