Flock ALPR Used to Track Man Across State Lines in Weed Pretext Stop
Original: Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines for a Pretextual Weed Search
Why This Matters
The case highlights how commercial ALPR networks can enable cross-jurisdictional surveillance and pretextual stops based on legal activity.
Wisconsin police used Flock's ALPR network to track Edward Abrams-Phillips' repeated trips to Michigan — where marijuana is legal — then used that travel pattern as probable cause to stop and search his vehicle in April 2025. He was convicted of marijuana possession.
Wisconsin law enforcement used Flock Safety's automated license plate reader (ALPR) network to monitor a man's interstate travel and build probable cause for a marijuana search, according to court records reviewed by 404 Media. Police tracked Edward Abrams-Phillips via Flock cameras along Interstate 41, logging hits as he drove from Wisconsin into Michigan and back within a single day. The probable cause justification in the criminal complaint explicitly cited that 'the vehicle travels to Michigan frequently which is a known source State for Marijuana as it is legal there.' Deputies then coordinated a traffic stop on his return trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin, in April 2025. The case originated from a bail jumping charge related to domestic violence, but the criminal complaint reveals police separately investigated his travel patterns to justify the car search. The bail jumping charge was ultimately dismissed; Abrams-Phillips was found guilty only of marijuana possession. The case is one of several recent reports by 404 Media examining Flock Safety's role in law enforcement surveillance, including separate reports that officers were instructed not to mention ALPR usage in reports or to vehicle occupants.