🚨 INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: Lawrence County Flock Camera Data Unveiled — What Are Police Searching For, and Are They Being Audited? 🚨

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR), commonly known as "Flock cameras," track vehicle movements across our community. When law enforcement agencies install these networks, they assure the public that strict audit logs will prevent officers from misusing the system to track everyday citizens without cause.

We conducted an independent analysis of the official ALPR search logs from the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office to see exactly how the system is being used.

Here is a transparent breakdown of the data spanning from March 2022 through mid-July 2026:

What Are They Looking For in 2026?

Between January 1 and mid-July 2026, deputies logged exactly 864 searches into the county's ALPR system. The top justifications provided for these searches include:

• Missing & Endangered Persons / Runaways: 88 searches
• Stolen Property & Auto Thefts: 79 combined searches
• Traffic Infractions & Fleeing Police: 76 combined searches
• Wanted Persons & Arrest Warrants: 48 combined searches
• Welfare Checks: 37 searches

Red Flags: A Severe Lack of Accountability and Oversight

While the cameras are powerful tools for catching criminals, a deep dive into the 22,409 total searches run over the last four years reveals massive gaps in documentation. In ALPR systems, misuse is monitored by requiring officers to input a valid law enforcement justification and an official Case Number. The Lawrence County data shows extreme failures in this requirement:

📉 99.1% Missing Case Numbers: Out of 22,409 searches, 22,218 were left completely blank in the "Case Number" field. Without a case number, it is nearly impossible for supervisors or the public to verify if an officer was investigating an actual crime, or simply tracking a vehicle for personal reasons.

📉 24.4% Had NO Reason Provided: In 5,471 separate instances, deputies utilized the surveillance network without providing any justification or reason whatsoever in the system.

📉 Vague Justifications: When reasons are provided, thousands of them are too vague to be audited. Over 3,100 searches were simply justified with the letters "CI", and over 1,400 just said "INV" or "inv". One search was even justified using just a single period (".").

How can an agency internally audit a search if there is no case number or valid reason attached to it? Without enforcing proper documentation, the door is left wide open for system abuse and privacy violations.

Where Are The Cameras Located?

Curious where ALPR surveillance cameras are placed in Lawrence County and across the state? You can view an interactive, crowdsourced map tracking their locations here: 📍View the Deflock Camera Map

We will continue to review these logs and hold local agencies to the transparency standards the public deserves. Stay connected to local public safety records, police logs, and court updates by adding our website directly to your phone's home screen! 🌐LawrenceCountyWatchdog.Com

The data analyzed in this report was obtained through public records disclosure under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act (APRA), covering official Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) search logs from the Lawrence County Sheriff's Office spanning March 2022 through July 2026.

• Dataset Scope: 22,409 total search records logged by law enforcement personnel.
• Data Processing: Raw CSV system export files were independently analyzed to calculate search reasons, missing case numbers, and yearly trends.
• Public Records Right: Under Indiana Code § 5-14-3 (APRA), law enforcement agency records, including digital system audit logs, are public records subject to public inspection and oversight.
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