Kokomo Officer Accused of Using License Plate Cameras to Track Ex-Wife
KOKOMO, Ind. — A Kokomo police officer faces a potential lawsuit after he was accused of using the city's Flock Safety license plate reader cameras to track his ex-wife's car for weeks — a case that highlights growing concerns about police misuse of powerful surveillance technology, the Indianapolis Star reported Oct. 7.
Officer Matthew H. Johnson of the Kokomo Police Department received a formal notice of claim Oct. 7 on behalf of his ex-wife, Sarah Johnson, alleging he used his police powers to spy on her after their divorce was finalized June 30, 2026. According to the notice, Johnson used Flock automated license plate recognition cameras — a network of police cameras that log the time, location and direction of every passing vehicle — to monitor Sarah Johnson's vehicle over a period of several weeks in an effort to build a child custody case.
She discovered the tracking when she found a department vehicle in her driveway, according to the claim. Her attorney, Marc Halata, said the case illustrates how surveillance technology built for public safety can become a tool of personal abuse in the wrong hands. "Police don't get to use secret police surveillance powers to stalk their ex-spouses," Halata said.
Kokomo Police Chief Douglas Stout declined to comment, citing an active internal investigation. The department has not said whether Johnson remains on active duty.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley responded that every city deploying Flock cameras must agree to a usage policy prohibiting personal use, and that the company provides audit tools to detect misuse. Privacy advocates have long warned that license plate reader networks, which have spread rapidly across Indiana and the nation, create detailed records of innocent drivers' movements with few consistent safeguards. The notice of claim is a required step before a lawsuit can be filed against a government employee in Indiana.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：科科莫市政厅与警察局大楼。公有领域，来源：Wikimedia Commons
