By admin 
GOODYEAR, AZ (AZFamily) — Another Arizona police officer is under investigation for potentially misusing license plate reader cameras.
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Goodyear Police said Tuesday that investigators began an audit of Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) use on July 21 as part of the department’s regular internal affairs audit process.
The next day, investigators flagged concerning activity involving a potential department policy violation. The officer in question was immediately placed on administrative leave with access cut off to the department’s computer systems, Goodyear Police said.
Investigators found a possible criminal violation, the department said. No details were shared on how the officer possibly violated policy or the law.
“The public trusts us with powerful law enforcement tools, and that trust requires both strong policies and meaningful oversight,” Goodyear Police Chief Brian Issitt said in a release. “Our auditing process did exactly what it is intended to do. It identified activity that warranted further review, and we acted immediately. When information indicated there could be a criminal component, we requested an independent investigation. Accountability applies to every member of this department.”
Goodyear Police said the criminal investigation was turned over to the Glendale Police Department to ensure an impartial outside investigation. Goodyear Police said its internal investigation into department policy violations will continue once Glendale concludes its investigation.
The police department said neither the officer nor possible violations will be identified at this time, pending results of the criminal investigation.
Goodyear Police said the department operates 33 Flock ALPR cameras.
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In its release, the department doubled down on using ALPR cameras, despite recent controversy and other Valley cities suspending contracts with ALPR companies.
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Goodyear Police said the cameras are “a valuable public safety and investigative resource” that help with law enforcement, and that this person’s potential actions “do not diminish the legitimate public safety value of this technology or the responsible manner in which it is used by Goodyear Police Department employees every day.”
Chandler Police announced last week that someone within their organization may have misused the system, prompting the city to immediately shut down the use of its Flock cameras.
It was revealed Monday that an Apache Junction officer resigned after an internal investigation found he had misused the Flock system for personal use to track his wife.
Earlier Tuesday, Tempe Police announced the department stopped all data sharing from Flock cameras after the community raised privacy concerns and amid reports of other cities’ misuse of the technology.
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