{"rewrite":{"id":"r_45df2e7ffad1fda3f321aeb1","clusterId":"c_76ceeb04d06abd40bd8e59b1","slug":"police-chief-used-flock-license-plate-system-to-track-ex-lovers","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Police Chief Used Flock License Plate System to Track Ex-Lovers","summary":"William C. Copp, police chief in Holiday Hills, Illinois, was arrested on June 18, 2026, and charged with official misconduct for using the Flock license plate tracking system and a state database to illegally track six acquaintances, including three former romantic partners and one ex-partner's new partner, whose plate he queried 140 times.","whyItMatters":"The arrest adds to a growing list of law enforcement officials caught misusing warrantless license plate surveillance for personal stalking, intensifying calls for legal reform.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eWilliam C. Copp, police chief of Holiday Hills, Illinois, was arrested June 18 on two counts of official misconduct after prosecutors say he used the Flock license plate tracking system and the state LEADS database to track six people he knew. Three of the six were women with whom Copp had past romantic relationships. He also tracked the ex-partner of one woman, querying that man\u0026#39;s license plate 140 times over several months, 86 of them outside work hours. In September 2025, Copp left a threatening voicemail identifying himself as police and telling the man not to contact his ex-girlfriend.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe case is the latest in a series of similar abuses. Since November 2025, at least three other law enforcement officials have been caught using Flock data to stalk spouses or ex-lovers. The Judicial Institute, which is suing Flock, said there are at least 18 related lawsuits nationwide as of mid-2026 and called that number an undercount. Critics argue the system\u0026#39;s warrantless access invites misuse.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Holiday Hills Police Chief William Copp queried one ex-partner's plate 140 times. The Flock system, marketed for public safety, gave a single officer private surveillance reach with no internal check.","twitterPost":"Holiday Hills Police Chief William Copp queried an ex-partner's plate 140 times. Flock's system had no internal check to stop him.","threadsPost":"Holiday Hills Police Chief William Copp used Flock's license plate system to track six acquaintances, including three former partners. One ex-partner's plate was queried 140 times. The system, sold as a crime-fighting tool, gave a single officer unchecked private surveillance power.","newsletterBlurb":"William C. Copp, police chief in Holiday Hills, Illinois, was arrested for using the Flock license plate tracking system to stalk three former lovers and a man he threatened. The case is the third since November 2025 in which law enforcement has been caught misusing the warrantless surveillance tool for personal stalking, fueling calls for reform.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"GIGAZINE\",\"url\":\"https://gigazine.net/news/20260625-police-flock-stalking/\",\"title\":\"Police Chief Used Flock License Plate Tracking System to Stalk Ex-Lovers\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4207,"outputTokens":613,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1782593310,"createdAt":"2026-06-27T20:37:03.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-06-27T20:40:24.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-27T20:40:24.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_76ceeb04d06abd40bd8e59b1","canonicalTitle":"警察署長が「Flock」のナンバープレート追跡システムを使って元恋人をストーキングしていたことが判明","representativeArticleId":"a_4b6d90d4daf507a22ce1bd75","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"other\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-06-24T22:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-06-24T22:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-27T20:40:24.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"GIGAZINE","url":"https://gigazine.net/news/20260625-police-flock-stalking/","title":"警察署長が「Flock」のナンバープレート追跡システムを使って元恋人をストーキングしていたことが判明"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"other","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["In September 2025, Copp left a threatening voicemail identifying himself as police and telling the man not to contact his ex-girlfriend.","Since November 2025, at least three other law enforcement officials have been caught using Flock data to stalk spouses or ex-lovers.","The Judicial Institute, which is suing Flock, said there are at least 18 related lawsuits nationwide as of mid-2026 and called that number an undercount."]}