● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
Flock Camera Glitch Leads to Woman Being Pulled Over at Gunpoint Twice
Key points
- Amber Newell was stopped twice due to an uncleared Flock camera alert.
- The alert falsely linked her car to a homicide investigation.
- Milwaukee police admitted an employee forgot to remove the outdated alert.
- The incidents caused distress and raised concerns about data accuracy.
Incorrect Flagging by Automated System
Amber Newell of Brookfield, Wisconsin, was pulled over at gunpoint by police on two separate occasions within a week. Her vehicle was flagged by a Flock camera, an automated license plate recognition system, as being connected to a homicide investigation. Brookfield officers surrounded her car with guns drawn during both incidents.
Human Error in Data Management
Milwaukee police later confirmed that the alert linking Newell's car to a homicide investigation should have been cleared from the system days before the incidents occurred. An employee's oversight in failing to remove the outdated alert led to the repeated false flags. Newell had no connection to the investigation.
Impact on the Individual
Newell reported feeling rattled by the experiences, and her young daughter expressed fear of police encounters. The incidents underscore the personal impact of errors within automated law enforcement technologies, even when police actions are deemed appropriate based on the information provided by the system.
Implications for Automated Systems
Flock cameras operate by comparing scanned license plates against police watch lists. While law enforcement agencies train officers to respond cautiously to alerts, especially those related to violent crimes, the system's reliability depends on the accuracy and timeliness of the data entered by human operators. This event raises questions about the prevalence of outdated alerts in such systems and the potential for similar wrongful stops.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
A woman in Wisconsin was stopped at gunpoint twice by police after a Flock license plate camera system incorrectly flagged her car as being connected to a homicide investigation. Milwaukee police confirmed the alert should have been removed from the system days earlier, but an employee failed to clear it. This incident highlights the critical need for accurate and timely data management in automated law enforcement systems to prevent wrongful stops.