Documented Incident

Lynn, Mass. police place two officers on leave after Flock audit flags search anomalies

First reported: August 20, 2026 · 14 sources

The Lynn Police Department placed two officers on paid administrative leave after an audit of its Flock Safety license plate reader system identified what the department called a "concerning pattern in some searches." The department said the issue surfaced after it began using Flock's Audit Assist tool on August 12, and an Internal Affairs investigation is underway. Access to the Flock system has been restricted to supervisors at the rank of lieutenant or above, and the department said it is reviewing its license plate reader policy. Police said the searches did not involve immigration enforcement, and no findings of policy violations have been announced.

Key facts

• Two Lynn police officers were placed on paid administrative leave pending an Internal Affairs investigation.
• The department said anomalies were identified during initial use of Flock's Audit Assist tool, implemented August 12.
• Flock system access was restricted to personnel holding the rank of lieutenant or higher.
• Lynn police said the flagged searches did not involve immigration enforcement.
• No determination of policy violations has been made; the investigation is ongoing.

Timeline

• August 20, 2026Two Lynn police officers placed on leave after audit flags Flock camera searches
• August 20, 2026Lynn officers investigated for misuse of Flock cameras
• August 20, 20262 North Shore Police Officers Suspended After Suspected Flock Abuse

Sources

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

• Two Lynn police officers placed on leave after audit flags Flock camera searches (Boston 25 News, August 20, 2026)
• 2 Lynn officers placed on leave after city Flock system audit (wcvb.com, August 20, 2026)
• 2 Lynn police officers on leave over alleged misuse of Flock surveillance technology (The Boston Globe, August 20, 2026)
• Boston 25 News. . Two Lynn police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave after an audit of the department's Flock license plate reader system uncovered a concerning pattern of searches. (facebook.com, August 21, 2026)
• Lynn officers investigated for misuse of Flock cameras (Itemlive, August 20, 2026)
• More Mass. police officers placed on leave over alleged Flock misuse (Boston.com, August 20, 2026)
• Lynn officers investigated for misuse of Flock cameras (Itemlive, August 20, 2026)
• Suburban police officer placed on administrative leave for alleged misuse of Flock cameras (Headtopics, August 22, 2026)
• Suburban police officer placed on administrative leave for alleged misuse of Flock cameras (Nbc Chicago, August 22, 2026)
• 2 North Shore Police Officers Suspended After Suspected Flock Abuse (Patch, August 20, 2026)
• Illinois officer placed on leave in Flock camera misuse investigation (NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts, August 23, 2026)
• 2 Lynn police officers on administrative leave as use of Flock data investigated (WHDH, August 20, 2026)
• Illinois officer placed on leave in Flock camera misuse investigation (NewsNation, August 24, 2026)
• West Suburban Officer On Leave After Flock Camera Investigation: Officials (Patch, August 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 August 28, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.