GoKawiilA routine police search might involve looking for a stolen car or a wanted suspect. But one officer's reason for searching a vast network of automated licence plate readers was simply 'LMAO'.
In July 2025, an officer with the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department used Flock Safety's surveillance system to search for a licence plate across more than 19,000 cameras covering 1,558 cities and towns. According to a record of the search, the reason entered was 'LMAO'.
The case was among dozens identified in an analysis by the Electronic Frontier Foundation of Flock's search logs. The records show officers entering jokes, gibberish and other seemingly unserious terms into a field intended to document the reason for a search.
Police Searches Included 'IDK' And Gibberish
Data reviewed by the EFF included searches labelled 'LMAO', 'LOL', 'Hehe', 'Haha', 'idk' and 'blah'. Other entries included 'asdfg' and strings of apparently random keyboard characters. In one case, an officer entered: 'robbery I don't remember the case number leave me alone'.
The searches identified by the EFF came from police departments across the country between 2023 and late 2025, when Flock changed how the reason field worked. The analysis also found more than 6,300 searches across more than 30 agencies that used 'TBD' as the stated reason.
Flock's technology uses automated licence plate readers to collect vehicle-related information and allow law enforcement agencies to search data gathered by cameras across jurisdictions. The EFF says the system can provide access to sensitive location information and has raised concerns about the lack of judicial oversight surrounding ALPR searches.
Flock Changes How Officers Justify Searches
Flock changed its system in late 2025, replacing the free-text reason field with a list of pre-populated categories that officers can select before searching. The EFF called the change a 'loss for transparency', arguing that selecting a generic category may provide less information about the actual purpose of a search.
The EFF also contacted police departments whose officers were identified in its analysis. Some agencies said officers had been counselled, while others said they would investigate or review the searches.
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