A Stockton police officer was terminated following an investigation into potential misconduct involving Flock cameras, Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said.
Flock cameras are automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, that capture images of vehicles and collect information including license plate numbers, vehicle characteristics, and the time and location where images are taken.
During a Sept. 21 City Council Audit Committee meeting, Vice Mayor Jason Lee, who chairs the committee, said members had received an anonymous complaint. Lee said he would not disclose whether the complaint originated within the police department because he did not know its source.
The committee includes Lee, District 1 Councilmember Michele Padilla and District 3
Councilmember Michael Blower.
During the discussion, McFadden said the police department identified potential employee misconduct while conducting a proactive audit of the Flock system. He said when the department was made aware of the incident, immediate action was taken.
The employee's access to the system was restricted and an administrative investigation was launched, McFadden said.
Aug. 19 was the employee's last day working with the city.
“While no organization is free from human error or misconduct, accountability is measured by how we respond,” McFadden said.
He added that his commitment to the community will always be a balance of public safety, individual privacy, transparency and responsible and ethical use of technology.
McFadden said relevant databases were reviewed and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office as well as the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training were notified.
Blower asked whether the safeguards in place to detect misconduct had worked as intended. McFadden said they had.
“I’d also assume that having this happen and having that individual get caught as quickly as they did that the word would get out,” Blower said. “I would hope that incidents like this wouldn’t repeat because there's a clear example that if you misuse this technology you’re going to get caught.”
When Lee asked how the department plans to monitor and identify misconduct in the future, McFadden said the development of the department's real-time crime center will allow a dedicated sergeant to oversee the Flock system full time.
Community member Zoyla Moreno, who was the only person who spoke during public comment, said the incident should have been discussed during a city council meeting instead of an audit committee meeting.
McFadden said ALPRs can quickly identify whether a suspect’s or missing person’s vehicle has traveled through the community, which narrows the search area and speeds up recovery efforts during time-sensitive emergencies.
When speaking to the committee, McFadden said he believes there is no better system than license plate readers when it comes to finding people who are in danger.
Statistics presented by McFadden showed that between Sept. 18, 2025, and Sept. 18, 2026, more than 166,000 hot-list alerts were entered into the system and more than 2,000 stolen vehicles were detected.
McFadden said technology such as the Flock system has made detectives’ jobs easier and allows them to work beyond capacity.
He also credited Flock cameras with helping catch the alleged Stockton serial killer in 2022.
Despite the positive remarks, Stockton residents this month urged the city council to terminate the city’s multimillion-dollar contract with Flock Safety. Residents cited concerns over surveillance, data sharing, privacy and limited public oversight.
Others raised concerns about the collection and sharing of data captured by Flock’s automated license plate reader cameras.
During the audit committee meeting, Padilla said she supported the police department’s use of every lawful tool to fight crime and protect the community.
She said she wanted to remind people that there are cameras everywhere and that everyone is susceptible to “abuse” in that way. However, she said she had full confidence in the chief and the police department to take action when misconduct occurs.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton city employee terminated following Flock cameras misconduct
