New York sheriff's investigator arrested for unauthorized use of Flock camera system

A senior investigator with a New York sheriff's office has been accused of repeatedly using a law enforcement license plate camera system to track an ex-girlfriend, with authorities alleging she searched for the woman's vehicle around 3,000 times.

Laurie Moore, 47, a 13-year veteran of the Albany County Sheriff's Office, was arrested Wednesday after an internal investigation allegedly uncovered more than 4,000 unauthorised searches involving five people known to her. According to the Albany County Sheriff's Office, about 3,000 of the searches involved her former girlfriend's vehicle. Moore also allegedly searched the license plates of four other people hundreds of times each.

The searches were conducted through the Flock Safety license plate reader system, a network of cameras used by law enforcement agencies to identify and track vehicles. Authorities said Moore also improperly accessed New York Department of Motor Vehicles records for unofficial purposes. The investigation began after an outside source alerted the sheriff's office to irregularities in database searches. Investigators initially found hundreds of questionable searches and then expanded the audit, eventually uncovering more than 4,000 searches, officials said. Moore's access to the Flock system reportedly began around the end of 2024.

Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said the case represented a serious breach of public trust but insisted that the technology itself remains an important law enforcement tool. “What happened here is a breach of that trust,” Apple said, adding that the department would hold anyone who abused the system accountable. Moore has been charged with official misconduct and second-degree falsifying business records, both misdemeanors. She has been suspended indefinitely from the Sheriff's Office. An additional command staff member has also been placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation continues. Apple said there was no indication that other members of the agency had engaged in unauthorised vehicle tracking.

Row over Flock cameras

The case has renewed questions about the growing use of automated license plate readers in the US and the amount of information law-enforcement agencies can access through them. Flock cameras use technology to capture vehicle license plates and other details, allowing investigators to search for vehicles that may be connected to crimes. Supporters say the systems have helped solve serious crimes and locate missing people, while privacy advocates have raised concerns about how the data can be accessed and used. Following the investigation into Moore, the Albany County Sheriff's Office tightened its rules. Access to Flock data is now restricted to supervisors, and searches are subject to an Internal Affairs audit every 30 days, according to Apple. Moore is scheduled to appear in New Scotland Town Court on September 24. Authorities have not said publicly why Moore allegedly conducted the searches or whether she knew the people whose vehicles she accessed beyond the relationships described in the investigation.