Documented Incident
Lawrence police dispute Methuen councilor's claim her plate was searched 359 times
Event: May 14, 2025 · First reported: September 25, 2026 · 1 source
Methuen City Councilor Patricia Valley said public records from the Have I Been Flocked website showed law enforcement in neighboring Lawrence had searched her license plate 359 times over two years. The Lawrence Police Department said it compared the site's data against its own records and concluded the figure reflected one officer's total Flock search activity over that period, not 359 searches of Valley's plate. The department said its records show her plate was searched once, on May 14, 2025, during a hit-and-run investigation involving a similar vehicle. Days later, Methuen Mayor D.J. Beauregard and acting Police Chief Jamie Moore announced the city had ended its use of Flock following an audit of how plate data is accessed, retained and shared.
The dispute illustrates how difficult it is for residents and elected officials to independently verify how ALPR search logs are used, and how that uncertainty is feeding municipal decisions about whether to keep the technology.
Key facts
- Councilor Valley cited Have I Been Flocked records indicating 359 searches; Lawrence PD said the number reflects one officer's overall Flock search activity over two years.
- Lawrence PD said Valley's plate was searched on May 14, 2025, in connection with a hit-and-run two days earlier; Valley said she was never contacted and cannot access records because the investigation remains active.
- Lawrence PD said it is working with Flock on a public transparency portal and welcomes scrutiny based on complete information.
- Methuen officials said there is no known evidence of misuse by city personnel but ended Flock use, citing insufficient local control over data.
- Lowell's City Council indefinitely suspended Flock use pending a policy review; at least seven other Massachusetts communities — Wilmington, Boylston, Waltham, Stoughton, Barre, Barnstable and Acushnet — acted to end Flock use this month.
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Lawrence PD refutes Methuen councilor's 350+ Flock camera search claim: 'Incomplete accounts' (Boston Herald, September 25, 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 28, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.