N.Y.P.D. Officers Used Flock Safety to Track License Plates Without a Contract

jaredwiener 31 points 7 comments September 28, 2026
www.nytimes.com · View on Hacker News

Discussion Highlights (3 comments)

toomuchtodo

https://archive.today/4UotC

kotaKat

"The department never had a contract with Flock, but the officers used the technology in an ad hoc manner, the police said in a statement. The officers received access to Flock after representatives of the company offered them a free trial, the statement said." Ah, the good ol' shadow IT method of selling directly to the end users. Good ol' salesman scum.

gosub100

How does their business model work with subpoenas? If the police don't pay to use them, but the camera witnesses a crime, can't they get a judge to order the video because it's evidence in a criminal investigation and/or trial? What about a civil case? Can an individual get a court order for flock to release evidence that it may have (or definitely has) relevant to a divorce case or other lawsuit? They evade accusations of constitutional violation because they're a private company. But other private companies have to turn over records all the time (credit card purchases for example).

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