Kentucky police officer arrested for stalking ex-girlfriend using Flock license plate reader over 2000 times
Quick Look
- Kentucky police officer Asad Zahir was arrested and charged with stalking his ex-girlfriend after conducting 2,048 Flock Safety license plate reader searches from January to May to track her vehicles in Kentucky and Indiana, including 241 searches during an active order of protection.
- He was released on his own recognizance and suspended without pay pending investigation.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Flock Safety license plate reader systems are used by law enforcement for legitimate investigations but have been misused in multiple cases to stalk individuals, particularly ex-partners. The company introduced an audit assistance tool to flag abnormal usage by officers following rising concerns about privacy violations.
Kentucky police officer Asad Zahir arrested and charged after he was found stalking his ex over 2000 times through Flock tracker.
Another case of the misuse of Flock was reported after a Kentucky police officer was arrested for using the Flock Safety license plate reader camera system to track his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child, 2000 time. Asad Zahir was arrested and then released on his own recognizance and will be presented in the court. Shively Police Department said that Zahir is suspended without pay pending the investigation. According to reports, Zahir's alleged activity was flagged by a new tool that Flock Safety brought in following the rise in the number of cases where the surveillance tool is being used to stalk exes. The audit assistance tool flags abnormal use by officers.
It works, police department blames one officer's poor decisions
“The Flock camera works. When it’s used properly it works. There are tons of stats that show it works,” Shively Police Chief Andre Bottoms said as Zahir's arrest was announced. “It’s a very effective tool and we don’t want to be judged on the poor decisions made by one officer.”
2048 Flock searches from January to May to track two vehicles
Investigators found Zahir had conducted 2,048 Flock searches from January into May to track two vehicles registered to his ex in Kentucky and Indiana, court records show. During the period he conducted those searches, Zahir harassed the victim and made threatening comments, prompting her to file an order of protection against him, according to the court records. Investigators determined 241 Flock searches happened while that order of protection was in place, from April 17 to May 6, Bottoms said. Zahir has been an officer in the department since 2022. “Charging this officer was not pleasant. It was a gut punch for me personally,” Bottoms said, adding that he had come to personally know each member of the small police department. “Accountability cannot depend on who you are and what position you hold or what badge you’re wearing.” Zahir listed the reason for the Flock tracking as a drug or narcotics investigation, even though the woman who was targeted was not the subject of any such investigation and has no history indicating any such violations, officials said at the news conference.
End of Article
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The Shively Police Department will terminate Asad Zahir's employment following the investigation
Likely · Within weeks
Flock Safety will see increased adoption of its audit assistance tool by other law enforcement agencies
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- What specific charges were filed against Asad Zahir?
- What is the status of the order of protection filed by the victim?
- Will Flock Safety implement additional safeguards beyond the audit tool?
- Are there other officers under investigation for similar misuse of Flock systems?