"When police run a search through the Flock Safety network, which links thousands of ALPR systems, they are prompted to leave a reason and/or case number for the search. Between June 2024 and October 2025, cops performed hundreds of searches for license plates using terms such as "roma" and "g*psy," and in many instances, without any mention of a suspected crime."
"Nevertheless, police officers have run hundreds of searches for license plates using the terms "roma" and "g*psy." (Unlike the police ALPR queries we've uncovered, we substitute an asterisk for the Y to avoid repeating this racist slur). In many cases, these terms have been used on their own, with no mention of crime. In other cases, the terms have been used in contexts like "g*psy scam" and "roma burglary," when ethnicity should have no relevance to how a crime is investigated or prosecuted."
More than 80 law enforcement agencies used demeaning language about Romani people when searching the Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) network. The Flock network links thousands of ALPR systems and prompts officers to provide a reason or case number for searches. Between June 2024 and October 2025, officers ran hundreds of searches using terms like "roma" and "g*psy," often without reference to any suspected crime. Some searches paired ethnicity with alleged offenses, using phrases such as "g*psy scam" and "roma burglary." Several agencies later acknowledged inappropriate usage and reported internal efforts to address the conduct.
Read at Electronic Frontier Foundation
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