CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Three Cheektowaga police employees, who were suspended for misusing Flock camera data, will not face criminal charges.
The 7 News I-Team has learned, the Public Integrity Unit of the Erie County District Attorney's Office determined there was no criminality in this case.
Cheektowaga police suspended three of their own last month, after using Flock camera data to track one of their fellow employees over the course of months.
Cheektowaga has almost 30 Flock cameras — automatic license plate readers — set up across town. The cameras record every single license plate that passes by and can be searched by those with access to the system.
"The allegations did not rise to the level of criminal conduct," the DA's office said.
Cheektowaga police say they have taken steps to tighten policies and procedures to stop this from happening again.
The 7 News I-Team has submitted a formal request for information about any disciplinary action taken against the three employees.
In August, Flock made serious changes to the way this data is collected after growing backlash.
According to ABC News, "The new safeguards include requiring law enforcement to label every search with a criminal case number, and instituting an automatic review for abnormal search activities, which will trigger proactive lockouts for those users."
Flock will now keep data for seven days rather than 30, as it had been.
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