Reported by Arkansas GRITA | January 30, 2026: Police investigation finds Joplin officer improperly used surveillance tool

Flock systems ak camera in im ej kōjparok/kejōbwebweik traffic im lali license plate ko an wa ko ekar juon men eo ekar kairuj ro jān opij eo an immigration im privacy advocates (ro rej kōnono kōn abañ ko im) ilo kilen im jekjek in an ICE ro kar kōjerbale system in ilo allōñ ko ṃaantak.

_{The use of Flock systems in ICE operations has alarmed immigration and privacy advocates in recent months.}

Juon policeman eo eṃōj fire e ak joḷọk jān jikin jerbal itok wōt jān an kar kōjerbal Flock systems eo (camera eo ej lale traffic im lali license plate ko an kajojo wa) ilo bōd im jab jiṃwe. Ilo license plate ko an kajojo wa rej kwaḷọk elōñ kain meḷeḷe ko ikijjien iien, jikin, kaḷōr im model eo an wa eo, ko im eṃōj safe i ak kakoṇi  ilo juon jikin kakoṇ ak database in (loan juon computer).  Database in ej ijo policeman rein rej pukoti wa rōt en rar kooti, armej rōt en rejako (missing people), im etale jorāān ko jet ie. Ejjab ñan etale ak monitor e kajojo armej. Bōtaap ilo juon jerbal in etale eo kar kōṃṃane ilo December 2025 eo, rar lo ruon lein ilo an kar kōjerbal 25% in jerbal in kabbōk armej ko an iloan iiō eo, ilo an kar kajeoñ pukot juon license plate elōñ lok jān jibukwi (100) alen ilo ālkin awa in jerbal ko. Kain jekjek rōt in ej kwaḷọk wāwein an loloor armej ilo aer jab jeḷā kake (digital stalking). Meñe ejjeḷọk kwon ko ikōtaan ICE rein ñan kōjerbal Flock system in, bōtaap policeman rein remaroñ kōjerbale ilo aer jipañ er kōn jerbal in kabbōk armej ilo jejo keej ko. Police department eo an Joplin raar ba bwe likao in eaar rupi kakien kein aer kōn menin eṃōj aer leṃaan ḷọk abṇōṇō in aer ñan Missouri Highway Patrol opij ei bwe ren kōṃṃane juon iien etale eo ejeṇoḷọk ñan pukot ruon likao in.

_{A police officer in Joplin was fired for improper use of the city’s Flock system (a network of cameras that monitor traffic and read license plates). The license plate numbers are information like the time, location, and vehicle color and model are saved in a database. Officers use the database to look for stolen cars or missing people and to investigate crimes. They are not designed for continuous monitoring of individuals. But, an internal review in December 2025 found that one officer conducted 25% of all of the searches during the year, repeatedly searching the same plate numbers hundreds of times outside of normal work hours. This kind of search pattern is evidence of digital stalking. While Flock does not directly contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, local police departments can conduct searches on ICE’s behalf for specific cases. The Joplin Police Department said the officer violated department policy and they have asked the Missouri State Highway Patrol to conduct an independent criminal investigation.} 

Record kein rej kwaḷọk an policeman in pukot juon license plate elōñ ḷọk jān jubkwi alen, im ekkā an menin bōk jikin ilo lukwon boñin ko, wāwein in ekōṃṃan an wōr nota er bwe menin raar kōjerbale ñan jerbal ko aer makmake (personal use) im jab ñan jerbal ko an police. Emakujkuj in kabbōk kein, ekōṃṃan bwe system in en kwaḷọk ia eo armej eo ej jerbal ie, jikin jokwe eo an, ñaat ko ej travel ako ito-itak, im wāwein tallep in makūtkūt in mour eo an. Rein jān Immigration im privacy advocates obij eo raar kakōl ḷọk er bwe wāwein kabbōk etale in ettōr jān joñan an ḷap im erupe kakien kein ilo an ejjeḷọk aer mālim in etale kajojo armej im baaṃle kōn jekjek ak wāwein aer kar delọñ tok ijokein (immigration status). Im kōnke Flock data kein remaroñ kwaḷọk meḷeḷe ko kōn juon armej, emakujkuj in kabbōk in ej kemlet bwe ej etale ko ejjeḷọk bedbed i er. Wāwein in eaar kōṃṃan bwe opij in en fire e ak joḷọk lein jān jerbal im leṃaan ḷọk bwe ren etale keej in an make.

_{Records showing one officer repeatedly searching the same license plates hundreds of times, often late at night, raised concerns that the system was being used outside its intended purpose. Such patterns suggest the possibility of personal monitoring rather than legitimate police work. Repeated searches can recreate where a person works, sleeps, and travels, effectively mapping their daily life. Immigration and privacy advocates warn that this level of tracking could be misused to unlawfully monitor individuals or families based on perceived or actual immigration status. Because Flock data can reveal detailed information about a person’s movements, repeated searches may amount to invasive surveillance without cause. These concerns contributed to the department’s decision to terminate the officer and request an independent investigation.}