LYNN, Mass. — Two Lynn police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave after an audit of the department’s Flock cameras identified a pattern of searches that raised concerns.
According to Lynn police, the issue was discovered after it implemented Flock Safety’s Audit Assist tool on August. 12.
During the tool’s initial use, the department said the audit identified “anomalies in searches” that required further review.
That review uncovered what the department described as a “concerning pattern in some searches.”
Two officers were placed on leave while an Internal Affairs investigation began.
Access to the department’s Flock system was restricted to supervisory personnel holding the rank of lieutenant or higher.
The department is also reviewing its License Plate Reader policy and said it has strengthened oversight procedures by requiring regular and ongoing use of Flock’s Audit Assist tool.
Lynn police use license plate reader technology, including Flock Safety products, to help locate wanted people, investigate crimes, search for missing people and, in some cases, provide information that can exonerate people who may have been falsely accused.
The department said the technology has been used in investigations involving homicides, gun violence, breaking and entering and hit-and-run incidents.
The department said that the searches did not involve immigration enforcement.
Police said they remain committed to conducting a “thorough and impartial investigation” before determining what happened and whether any department policies were violated.
The department said it will also consider additional changes to policy, training and auditing as the review continues, to strengthen oversight and public trust.
Boston 25 security analyst Dan Linskey has been tracking the troubling trend across the state closely.
He said the recent coverage by the media has forced departments to look closely at their own system usage.
“You need good policies,” Linskey said Thursday. “You need good practice. You need good oversight.”
He added, “Across the country, there are folks coming forward saying they don’t want Flock cameras.”
Linskey said the technology helps police monitor public events for safety and collect license plate data in the case of a search.
He claimed the systems were instrumental in the Brown University shooter search.
“The public is going to get so leery of the technology that the good it can do to keep people safe and secure will be outweighed by the malice in which it is being utilized by officers for their own intended purposes,” he said. “The police are the public, and the public are the police. The police are only allowed and authorized to provide the policing program the public wants to have.”
Boston 25 has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
The incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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