Five Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers have been charged after an internal investigation found alleged personal misuse of the department's network of roughly 300 Flock license‑plate reader cameras. An 18‑year veteran is accused of using the system to track multiple women — including one plate queried more than 170 times — and approaching them in person. All five now face felony and misdemeanor counts; prosecutors and IMPD leaders say the alleged conduct represents a serious breach of public trust. The case echoes similar probes of LPR abuse in other states.
Five Indianapolis Officers Charged After Alleged Misuse Of Flock License‑Plate Readers
Welles Enterprises/Getty Images - PHOTO: The exterior of an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police car in Indianapolis, Ind., June 13, 2024.
Five officers of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) have been charged after an internal review identified alleged improper use of the department's license‑plate reader (LPR) network, court records show.
Charges and Allegations
The Marion County prosecutor's office filed charges Wednesday against Michael Rogers, Jonathan Schultz, Cassandra Crawley, Matthew Binford and Abigail Cramer after IMPD referred the matter to county prosecutors. According to the department, the officers' tenures ranged from four to 18 years.
Charging documents allege that Jonathan Schultz, an 18‑year IMPD veteran, used the department's network of roughly 300 Flock cameras to track multiple women — including his ex‑wife — and then approached or contacted them based on movements revealed by the system.
Specific Allegations Involving Schultz
The affidavit recounts an incident in 2023 in which Schultz allegedly met a woman at a workout class. She told investigators he displayed what she described as a "weird obsession" and that he had searched her license plate in the system. Investigators say Schultz consistently arrived at the gym around the times she worked out and used the LPR searches to locate her.
In another allegation, Schultz allegedly ran a plate search for a woman he encountered at her workplace in 2025; after the initial contact he reportedly texted her and later reintroduced himself at a social event months afterward. The woman told investigators she found it disturbing how he obtained her number; the affidavit quotes him making an uncomfortable remark about spilling yogurt on his pants.
Investigators also allege Schultz searched a different woman's license plate more than 170 times over three months and left a note on her vehicle after locating it via the system.
Other Officers
The other officers named in the charges are accused of using the Flock LPR system for personal reasons, including allegations that one officer used the system to track an ex‑spouse. All five face a mix of felony and misdemeanor counts.
"Automated license plate reader technology is a powerful law enforcement tool, and with that power comes the responsibility to use it lawfully and appropriately," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. "What is alleged in these cases is a gross misuse of that responsibility, and that conduct undermines the trust our community must have in law enforcement."
"These individuals' actions went far beyond a clerical error or a violation of department policy. These actions crossed into criminal conduct and shook the foundation of trust that our agency is built upon," IMPD Chief Tanya Terry said, calling the charges "a deeply disheartening and disappointing day for IMPD."
Broader Context
The allegations form part of a growing national concern about the potential for abuse of automated license‑plate readers. Recent reports include a Kentucky officer accused of querying Flock cameras thousands of times to track an ex‑girlfriend and multiple employees in Savannah, Georgia, who were fired amid alleged misuse of LPR systems.
Lawyers for the Indianapolis officers were not immediately available for comment, and Flock did not respond to a request for comment, according to court filings and press reports.
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