IMPD chief suspends officer, recommends firing over alleged personal use of plate reader

Event: August 6, 2025 · First reported: August 13, 2026 · 3 sources

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it learned on Aug. 6 that an officer had used an automated license plate reader system for personal reasons. The officer was immediately moved to administrative duty without police powers, had ALPR access revoked, and had department-issued equipment including a computer collected. In a social media post released Thursday, IMPD said Chief Tanya Terry suspended the officer with a recommendation for termination based on early findings of the administrative investigation. Both administrative and criminal investigations remain ongoing, and no charges or final disciplinary outcome have been reported.

Why this matters

Personal use of license plate reader databases is one of the most commonly cited risks of ALPR programs, and how agencies detect and respond to it shapes what oversight the public can expect. The case also raises the question of what audit mechanisms surfaced the conduct and whether they exist in other departments using the same systems.

Key facts

IMPD said it became aware of the officer's alleged misuse of an automated license plate reader on Aug. 6.
The officer was placed on administrative duty with no police powers; ALPR access was revoked and department equipment was collected.
Chief Tanya Terry suspended the officer and recommended termination based on early administrative investigation findings.
Administrative and criminal investigations are ongoing; no charges or convictions have been reported.
IMPD stated that ALPR technology strengthens its ability to solve crimes and locate missing people, and that misuse undermines public trust.

Timeline

August 13, 2026IMPD chief suspends officer who misused license plate readers
August 14, 2026IMPD officer under investigation after alleged misuse of Flock cameras

Sources

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

IMPD chief suspends officer who misused license plate readers (wrtv.com, August 13, 2026)
IMPD officer accused of misusing Flock license plate readers gets suspended (Fox 59, August 13, 2026)
IMPD officer under investigation after alleged misuse of Flock cameras (IndyStar, August 14, 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 August 17, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.