Flock's False Alert Leads to Ticket Despite Valid Insurance
Driver Ticketed for No Insurance Just Because Flock (YC 2017) Said She Didn't
A Georgia student was ticketed for driving without insurance even though she showed a valid insurance card. The officer trusted a Flock automated license plate reader alert over the physical proof. The same thing happened again the next day in a nearby county. The article argues that police are increasingly deferring to flawed technology, making it impossible for citizens to prove their innocence.
The computer says you’re a criminal. The stuff law enforcement has always considered proof of legal vehicle use is no longer acceptable.
- ourmandave
This is 100% cop's fault.
She presented a current insurance coverage card to the officer and he still ticketed her because Flock said she wasn't covered.
What would have happened if she showed the current coverage using the insurance app on her phone?
- cgearhart
This has been going on for awhile. There was a fella that got flagged by facial recognition in a casino. He was hauled back by security and arrested by the police for trespassing. Even though he gave police his license. They thought it was more likely a fake id than than the “99% match” from the software was wrong. And no accountability afterwards; no change in policy or training.
- inerte
Oh so Flock doesn't just record / monitor stuff, but while doing so, it proactively tells the police a car worth stopping is on the street? How did the cop know how to stop the car?
- octol
This reminds me of the opening scene of Back to the Future when the robotic arm dumps more dog food in to an already overflowing bowl. Can we coin this sort of technological outcome “feeding Einstein”?
- schainks
This is infuriating.
A modern police department should actively discipline officers that are too lazy to run the necessary checks to prove the human's paperwork is legit, especially when they have a computer that can do it for them right in front of them!
Cities adding ALPRs should also be holding the ALPR company financially liable for _every single mistake_ these systems make.