Flock camera mistakes: What happens when the wrong person is identified?
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – As automated license plate readers continue to face scrutiny locally and nationwide, a Rancho Mirage resident says an official notice from the California Highway Patrol linked him to a vehicle he has never owned.
Michael Harrington said he received a CHP notice involving a 2024 BMW registered in Colorado. According to Harrington, the notice suggested he was responsible for the vehicle and referenced a previous warning that he says he never received.
Harrington said the notice immediately raised concerns about fraud, identity theft and how his name became connected to the car.
“It wasn’t a question. It was a criminal accusation,” Harrington said. “Then I found out… that’s registered to someone with your name, different date of birth.”
Harrington said he contacted officials in Colorado and was told the BMW is registered to another person with the same name, but a different date of birth, Colorado driver’s license and Colorado residency.
The case is raising broader questions about what happens after information is generated through automated license plate reader technology — and where human verification comes into the process.
Palm Springs Police Captain Gustavo Araiza told News Channel 3 that information produced through technology still needs to be independently checked.
“A lot of the information that comes out of it is a lot of times inaccurate. So it’s very important for everybody to verify that information,” Araiza said.
Palm Springs Police recently opened its Real Time Intelligence Center to the public, explaining how the department uses Flock Safety license plate readers and other technology.
Araiza said officers can review the actual image captured by a camera and compare it with the plate number generated by the system. Even after that check, he said the information remains an investigative lead rather than a final determination.
“We still have to do follow-up,” Araiza said. “At the very least, it’s an investigative lead.”
News Channel 3 also reached out to Flock Safety about Harrington’s concerns.
A Flock spokesperson said the company’s cameras are license plate readers that capture still images of vehicles and read license plates. The company said its system does not identify the driver or registered owner of a vehicle and cannot be searched using a person’s name.
Flock also said any determination connecting a vehicle to an individual is made by law enforcement, not by Flock’s technology.
The company’s response highlights an important distinction that a license plate reader can provide information about a vehicle, but identifying the person associated with that vehicle requires additional steps outside of the camera system itself.
For residents who receive an official-looking letter, phone call, text or email that does not appear accurate, Araiza said the best step is to verify it independently rather than ignore it.
“If it’s coming from a specific agency, just verify that information is accurate,” Araiza said.
He recommends searching for the agency independently and calling a verified phone number rather than relying only on contact information or links included in a message.
Harrington said he has filed a complaint with CHP Internal Affairs and, so far, has only received confirmation that the complaint was received.
News Channel 3 also reached out to the California Highway Patrol requesting comment on Harrington’s case and how the vehicle became associated with him. As of publication, CHP had not responded.
Palm Springs Police says regardless of whether information originates from Flock or another technology, human verification remains a necessary part of the investigative process.
Click here to follow the original article.