'Good Officer' Resigns After Using Flock Cameras To Stalk His Wife - Jalopnik

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If there's one thing cops love, it's abusing powers granted to them — a habit only made worse by the introduction of the surveillance state of Flock cameras that now dot many American cities. One cop in Arizona used his Flock privileges to track his wife to a city 50 miles away, far beyond his jurisdiction, and has now quit the force once his overreach was exposed. His now-former boss, though, still claims the former cop is a good guy beneath it all. 

Back in April, officer Joshua McDaniel of the Apache Junction, Arizona police force used his city's Flock cameras to stalk his wife to the city of Casa Grande according to Fox 10 Phoenix. He then reached out to the Casa Grande police, asking for their Flock data about his wife's car under the guide of a "wellness check" — a request Casa Grande police granted. Casa Grande cops then informed McDaniel's superiors at Apache Junction, where the officer was placed on leave pending an investigation.

This officer was a good officer, there's no doubt about it.

Apache Junction Chief of Police Michael Pooley spoke with reporters after the investigation, which ended with McDaniels' decision to leave the force. Pooley said that, while McDaniels' actions were an overreach, the officer himself was "a good officer" beneath it all — not the usual "bad apple" script we get when cops abuse their power. He also went on to say that, despite the ability for police to misuse the system, Apache Junction would not discontinue use of Flock readers: "Here in the city of Apache Junction, right now we are going to still continue to use this technology."

This Arizona situation is just the latest in a long string of police abusing their Flock power to stalk and harass drivers, which is itself just the latest in a long string of police abuses of power. Studies show police often commit domestic violence at higher rates than the general population, while receiving fewer consequences. Flock cameras just handed abusers another tool.