A Swampscott police officer has been placed on administrative leave after the department was notified of concerns about potential misuse of Lynn’s Flock license-plate reader system.

The Swampscott Police Department announced in a press release sent to the Swampscott Tides that it is investigating whether an employee violated department policies or other standards. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

“While the Town of Swampscott does not contract with Flock and the Department does not

have cameras posted in the community, the authorized Department use of Flock license plate

readers through partner communities has been strictly for active law enforcement

Investigations,” the press release reads. 

Flock Safety is a public-safety technology company best known for its automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras. The cameras photograph passing vehicles and record license plates, as well as characteristics such as make, model, color and other distinguishing features. Officers can then search the resulting database during investigations.

Flock also sells video cameras, gunshot-detection technology, drones and other software.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said in July that at least 80 police departments across the state have active contracts with Flock.

The company says its system is intended as an investigative tool rather than a live GPS tracker. However, participating agencies can potentially share data with other law enforcement agencies, creating a larger network of searchable vehicle sightings. Flock says data sharing is controlled by customer agencies and is not automatic.

Another concern is that Flock’s vehicle-characteristic and search capabilities can generate investigative leads that are not necessarily proof that someone committed a crime.

Flock acknowledged in August that recent audits have been associated with the arrests of several law enforcement officers accused of abusing the system.

In Massachusetts, about an hour from Swampscott, the town of Stow is pursuing termination proceedings against Officer Jason Rogers for allegedly misusing Flock Safety cameras and other law enforcement databases. Rogers could also face criminal charges over unauthorized searches of a state criminal-records system.

Other police departments across the country, including the Los Angeles Police Department, have suspended their use of Flock amid concerns about data ownership, privacy and the possibility that information could be accessed by other government agencies.

Flock announced in August that it would reduce the default data-retention period to seven days, require case codes for law enforcement searches and make its audit assistance program mandatory for customers by the end of the year.

In Texas, roughly 20 communities have reportedly deactivated their cameras or ended their Flock partnerships.

Closer to home, Hopkinson ordered Flock to deactivate its cameras. New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody said his department would temporarily stop using Flock, and the Littleton department is also pausing its use.

The Swampscott Police Department has also paused access with partner organizations for license plate reader systems and related investigative tools while the investigation is taking place. 

“Access will be re-evaluated after the Department has completed a comprehensive review of its policies, permissions, supervisory controls, auditing practices, and training requirements surrounding the use of this technology,” the press release reads.

The incident takes place as two Lynn police officers were placed on administrative leave at the end of August after an audit identified a “concerning pattern in some searches” conducted using the Flock System technology.

The Lynn Police Department implemented Flock’s audit assist tool on August 12, during which time the “anomalies in searches” were identified as requiring further review, the department had said in a statement.

Lynn has since restricted access to the Flock system to supervisory personnel with the rank of lieutenant or higher.