Documented Incident
San Jose officials propose new ALPR data controls after officer fired for misusing Flock database
Event: February 1, 2025 · First reported: September 23, 2026 · 5 sources
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Vice Mayor Pam Foley and councilmembers Domingo Candelas and George Casey are asking the City Council to adopt tighter controls on access to the city's Flock automated license-plate reader data, following the April firing of a San Jose police officer who was found through an internal investigation to have improperly searched the database. Police say the misuse surfaced in February 2025 when a woman reported that a man she had accused of domestic violence — the officer's cousin — implied he was tracking her; an audit trail confirmed the improper access. The proposal would bar city employees from using personal devices to reach ALPR and other law-enforcement databases and increase random audits, and it urges the state Legislature to extend an existing criminal statute to cover newer databases such as Flock. The measure was set to go before the city's Rules and Open Government Committee on Sept. 30.
The case illustrates how ALPR misuse can be detected by audit logs yet fall outside existing criminal statutes, and San Jose's response — internal controls rather than warrant requirements or removal — offers a contrasting model to nearby cities that have dropped or restricted Flock.
Key facts
- The terminated officer, who had about two years with SJPD, was fired in April after an internal investigation and referred to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training for decertification; Chief Paul Joseph said a statutory gap prevented criminal charges.
- The cousin accused of domestic violence was arrested but not criminally charged.
- City officials say SJPD currently conducts seven to 10 random audits of individual officer access weekly, plus monthly audits; the proposal would increase that frequency.
- San Jose has roughly 500 license-plate readers; in March the City Council unanimously cut plate-data retention from one year to 30 days and barred recording at houses of worship, reproductive health clinics and consulates.
- The ACLU of Northern California and EFF are suing the city in Santa Clara County Superior Court on behalf of SIREN and the local CAIR chapter seeking a warrant requirement, and the Institute for Justice has filed a separate federal suit; EFF's Adam Schwartz said department protocols cannot resolve the underlying privacy threat.
Timeline
- September 23, 2026San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse
- September 24, 2026San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse
- September 24, 2026San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse
- September 23, 2026San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse
- September 24, 2026It’s Not Illegal for California Police to Misuse Flock Data. San José Leaders Want to Change That
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse (Arcamax, September 23, 2026)
- San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse (Santa Cruz Sentinel, September 24, 2026)
- San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse (santacruzsentinel.com, September 24, 2026)
- San Jose pushes for tighter controls on Flock camera data after police officer abuse (The Mercury News, September 23, 2026)
- It’s Not Illegal for California Police to Misuse Flock Data. San José Leaders Want to Change That (KQED, September 24, 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.