Documented Incident
Shively, Kentucky police tighten Flock audit policy after officer charged in alleged ALPR misuse
Event: January 1, 2026 · First reported: August 31, 2026 · 6 sources
Shively Police Department officer Asad Zahir pleaded not guilty on Aug. 28, 2026 to five misdemeanor counts of official misconduct and five of unlawful access to a computer, tied to allegations he ran more than 2,048 Flock Safety license plate searches on a woman with whom he shares a child. Court records say the searches ran from at least Jan. 1 to May 2, 2026, and that 241 occurred while an emergency protective order was in effect from April 17 to May 6. Chief Andre Bottoms said a departmental review found a "significant gap" in prior auditing and that required audit documentation was not being completed. A revised policy took effect the week before an Aug. 31 news conference, requiring supervisors to review system-flagged searches weekly rather than every 90 days.
The case illustrates that agency-level auditing of ALPR searches can fail in practice even where policy exists, and that misuse may surface only through a vendor's automated flagging rather than internal oversight — a pattern relevant to any jurisdiction relying on self-audits to govern plate-reader access.
Key facts
- Zahir pleaded not guilty on Aug. 28, 2026 to five counts of misdemeanor official misconduct and five counts of misdemeanor unlawful access to a computer; he is suspended from duty pending investigation.
- Court records allege over 2,048 Flock searches between at least Jan. 1 and May 2, 2026, including two Kentucky vehicle registrations belonging to the woman.
- Police say 241 of the alleged unauthorized searches occurred during an emergency protective order in effect April 17 to May 6.
- Supervisor review of flagged searches moves from every 90 days to weekly, with added documentation and escalation up the chain of command.
- Shively officials said Flock alerted them via an AI-powered auditing tool; the department is still checking whether other officers misused the system, and Chief Bottoms said he continues to support Flock use.
- Zahir's next court date is Oct. 7.
Timeline
- August 31, 2026Shively PD changes Flock camera policies after harassment allegations
- August 31, 2026Shively police overhaul Flock camera review policy after officer misuse arrest
Sources
This summary was written from the published reporting below and links to it; BlockFlockNow does not reproduce article text.
- Shively PD changes Flock camera policies after harassment allegations (The Courier-Journal, August 31, 2026)
- Shively police overhaul Flock camera review policy after officer misuse arrest (WAVE News, August 31, 2026)
- Shively police change Flock audit policy after officer’s arrest (Spectrum News, August 31, 2026)
- Milwaukee Police announce more changes to use of Flock Safety cameras (WPR, September 2, 2026)
- Shively Police Department to announce new flock camera restrictions (Wave 3 News, August 31, 2026)
- Shively police announce policy changes, safeguards for Flock camera use after officer's arrest (WDRB, August 31, 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 2, 2026. Corrections: blockflock@bytebunny.io. See all documented incidents or search the full article archive.