Second IMPD officer stripped of police powers, recommended for firing over ALPR misuse

First reported: September 19, 2026 · 6 sources

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said Friday that a second officer has been placed on administrative leave, stripped of police powers and recommended for termination to the Merit Board over alleged misuse of automated license plate reader technology. The case emerged from an investigation into other irregular ALPR searches that began after a first officer was found last month to have used Flock cameras for personal reasons, conduct Chief Tanya Terry described as intentional misconduct. IMPD said it issued an updated standard operating procedure for ALPRs last month requiring every officer to sign it to retain access. The Merit Board has not yet ruled on either termination recommendation.

Why this matters

The case shows how internal audits can surface repeated personal use of surveillance databases, and illustrates the policy controls — case numbers, offense codes and stronger auditing — that other agencies may be measured against.

Key facts

Second IMPD officer in two months recommended for termination over ALPR misuse; both cases go to the Merit Board.
The first officer was found to have used Flock cameras for personal reasons and was immediately stripped of police powers.
IMPD's updated SOP requires each search to be tied to a case or incident number and an NIBRS offense code.
The department said it will support legislation setting rules for proper ALPR use.

Timeline

September 19, 20262nd IMPD officer faces firing over misuse of license plate readers
September 18, 2026Second IMPD officer faces termination over alleged misuse of Flock cameras
September 19, 20262nd IMPD officer faces firing over misuse of license plate readers

Sources

This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.

2nd IMPD officer faces firing over misuse of license plate readers (WRTV, September 19, 2026)
Second IMPD officer faces termination over alleged misuse of Flock cameras (IndyStar, September 18, 2026)
2nd IMPD officer faces firing over misuse of license plate readers (Wish-tv, September 19, 2026)
IMPD chief recommends termination of 2nd officer for misuse of license plate-reading cameras (WTHR, September 19, 2026)
IMPD: Officer recommended for termination for ‘improper use’ of automated license plate readers (Fox 59, September 18, 2026)
2nd IMPD officer faces firing over misuse of license plate readers (WISH-TV, September 19, 2026)

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About this record

BlockFlockNow documents reported incidents involving Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers: council votes, contract decisions, misuse by authorized users, lawsuits, audits, and community response. Every record is reviewed by a person before publication. New to the topic? Start with What is Flock?, find meetings near you, or learn how to request your town's camera records.

Updated September 23, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.