D.C. Police Union Seeks Council Oversight After Flock Data Used in Internal Affairs Probe

Event: August 25, 2025 · First reported: September 11, 2026 · 3 sources

The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's internal affairs bureau used Flock automated license plate reader data while investigating alleged misconduct by an officer, prompting the D.C. police union to file misconduct complaints and a grievance in July. Department leadership denied the grievance on Aug. 25, the same day MPD announced that officers would need to request Flock access through its Real Time Crime Center, with internal affairs retaining access. A department spokesperson called the use appropriate and cited a "stringent policy," while union chair Gregg Pemberton told City Cast DC he was alarmed by the use of the data in a noncriminal administrative investigation and is asking the D.C. Council for oversight. Separately, two D.C. police officials speaking anonymously said a recent audit of Flock data flagged repeated searches of one license plate number, and at least one department member is under investigation.

Why this matters

The dispute tests whether an agency's own written limits on license plate reader searches — here, a requirement of a legal basis or reasonable articulable suspicion of criminal conduct — constrain internal, noncriminal uses, and it is unusual for a police union to seek legislative oversight of surveillance technology.

Key facts

MPD's internal affairs bureau used Flock ALPR data in an administrative misconduct investigation of an officer; the union says this violated department policy limiting queries to criminal matters with a legal basis or reasonable articulable suspicion.
The union filed complaints and a grievance in July; leadership denied the grievance on Aug. 25 and that day required officers to route Flock requests through the Real Time Crime Center, while internal affairs kept access.
Two anonymous D.C. police officials said a recent Flock audit flagged repeated searches of one plate number, leading to an investigation of at least one department member; a spokesperson declined comment, citing an internal investigation.
MPD updated its ALPR policy in April to require annual audits and added training and oversight, and in January interim chief Jeffery Carroll ended participation in a national database that let outside agencies search District data.
MPD says the cameras helped solve two homicides last year, including the shooting of congressional intern Eric Tarpinian-Jachym; the department denied an open records request about its Flock use, according to the Washington Sun.

Timeline

September 11, 2026D.C. Police Used Flock Cameras to Investigate Its Own Officer
September 16, 2026Flock camera use by internal affairs unit puts DC police at odds with officers’ union

Sources

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

D.C. Police Used Flock Cameras to Investigate Its Own Officer (City Cast DC, September 11, 2026)
Flock camera use by internal affairs unit puts DC police at odds with officers’ union (The Record from Recorded Future News, September 16, 2026)
DC Police Union Challenges Flock Camera Use by Internal Affairs (gadgetreview.com, September 17, 2026)

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 17, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.