Oakland County, Michigan sheriff's detectives probe former deputy's alleged sharing of Flock data with ICE

First reported: October 2, 2026 · 9 sources

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that detectives are conducting a criminal investigation into a former deputy's use of Flock Safety license plate reader data. County officials say the former employee allegedly shared data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after leaving his county job. Officials have not disclosed what data was accessed or how ICE may have used it, and the sheriff's office said no further information would be released at this time.

Why this matters

The investigation tests whether agency assurances about limiting ALPR data sharing can be enforced once individual personnel have access, a concern raised by residents during the county's contract debate.

Key facts

Oakland County Sheriff's officials confirmed a criminal investigation into a former deputy's use of Flock data.
The former employee allegedly shared data with ICE after leaving county employment; the allegations have not been adjudicated.
What data was accessed, and how ICE may have used it, has not been released.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard has said repeatedly that the county does not share Flock camera data with ICE.
A spokesman for County Executive Dave Coulter referred questions back to the sheriff's office, which declined further comment.

Timeline

October 2, 2026Oakland County Sheriff’s officials investigate possible misuse of Flock data
October 2, 2026Oakland County Sheriff’s officials investigate possible misuse of Flock data
October 5, 2026Ex-Oakland sheriff's employee used Flock for immigration searches, department says
October 6, 2026Former Oakland County deputy accused of misusing Flock System after leaving job
October 5, 2026Ex-Oakland sheriff's employee investigated for Flock immigration searches
October 7, 2026Flock controversy intensifies as ex-Oakland County deputy accused of misuse

Sources

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

Oakland County Sheriff’s officials investigate possible misuse of Flock data (mlive.com, October 2, 2026)
Oakland County Sheriff’s officials investigate possible misuse of Flock data (Mlive, October 2, 2026)
Oakland County investigating alleged misuse of Flock camera data by former deputy (WXYZ 7 News Detroit, October 4, 2026)
Ex-Oakland sheriff's employee used Flock for immigration searches, department says (The Detroit News, October 5, 2026)
5 Michigan police agencies used Flock readers for immigration searches (The Detroit News, October 6, 2026)
Former Oakland County deputy accused of misusing Flock System after leaving job (ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4, October 6, 2026)
Ex-Oakland sheriff's employee investigated for Flock immigration searches (Detroit Local News, October 5, 2026)
Flock controversy intensifies as ex-Oakland County deputy accused of misuse (ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4, October 7, 2026)
Flock controversy intensifies as ex-Oakland County deputy accused of misuse (ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4, October 7, 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 October 8, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.