Temple Police Department Asks Texas Rangers To Investigate ALPR Search

More Flock drama and this time it is in our neck of the woods. A Temple officer is resigning.

Temple Police Officer Resigns Amid Internal Investigation into License Plate Reader Misuse

A Temple police officer has stepped down following an internal review that uncovered unauthorized activity on the department’s Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system.

Audit Uncovers Unauthorized Database Searches

According to KWTX, the incident came to light after an advanced internal audit of the Flock Safety ALPR database flagged a search that raised operational concerns. A subsequent investigation by the department’s Internal Affairs Unit confirmed that the plate search was conducted without a valid, legitimate law enforcement purpose.

Officer Placed on Leave

The officer, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was immediately placed on investigative administrative leave and then resigned from the department. To ensure an independent and thorough review, the Temple Police Department requested that the Texas Rangers conduct a formal inquiry into the matter.

Temple Police Depertment

Lt. Gary Smith of the Temple Police Department recently spoke on how the cameras actually work. He clarified that a camera "hit" merely offers a lead to corroborate witness statements or spot crime trends. He says it does not constitute standalone probable cause for an arrest. He also said at the time that data access is restricted solely to criminal investigations and cannot be used for immigration enforcement, personal reasons, or harassment.

Tightened Oversight and Compliance Protocols

The discovery follows heightened system monitoring instituted by Police Chief Coy Brown, who took leadership of the department on May 1. Brown recently updated departmental policies, access restrictions, and auditing routines, implementing mandatory biweekly compliance checks to quickly detect potential software misuse.

Flock Clamps Down on Bogus Searches

To combat internal misconduct, Flock is making its "Audit Assistance" feature mandatory for all client agencies by the end of the year. Previously adopted by about a third of its user base, this system actively monitors irregular lookup patterns, such as those seen when a former Milwaukee officer searched for his partner's location over a hundred times. Under the new protocol, suspicious search patterns automatically suspend an officer's access pending a management investigation, aiming to prevent repeated offenses before they escalate.