AI incident #1698 ·
Flock Safety License-Plate Reader Reportedly Misread Plate Digit, Prompting Gunpoint Stop of Two Sisters in Española, New Mexico
In brief
An AI system built by Surveillance technology developers, Flock Safety and 1 other and deployed by Law enforcement and Española Police Department (New Mexico) allegedly harmed Women and girls, Women and 8 others.
- Risk domain
- Not classified
- Occurred
- Coverage
- 1 report
What happened
In July 2023, Española police stopped Jaclynn Gonzales and her 12-year-old sister after a Flock Safety license-plate reader reportedly read the final digit of Gonzales's plate as 7 rather than 2, matching a stolen plate. Body-camera reporting showed officers drew guns and handcuffed both before confirming the mismatch. The sisters later sued; Española police said officers followed procedure.
News reports (1)
Titles link to the original publisher; report text is not reproduced here.
Who was involved
- Alleged deployer
- Law enforcement Española Police Department (New Mexico)
- Alleged developer
- Surveillance technology developers Flock Safety Automated license plate reader (ALPR) developers
- Alleged harmed party
- Women and girls Women Road users Privacy Motorists Misidentified individuals Minors Jaclynn Gonzales and her 12-year-old sister Girls Epistemic integrity
AI systems implicated
Surveillance technologyFlock Safety automated license plate reader systemAutomated license plate readers (ALPR)
Classification (MIT AI Risk Repository taxonomy)
- Risk domain
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- Risk subdomain
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- Causal entity
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- Intent
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- Timing
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- Harm level
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- Sectors
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- Countries
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Related incidents
Linked by editors or by text similarity in the source dataset.
Other incidents involving Law enforcement
- Deputies in Cherokee County, Georgia, Allegedly Misused Automated License Plate Reader Data for Non-Law-Enforcement Purposes
- Border Patrol Agent Allegedly Claimed Facial Recognition Identified Minneapolis ICE Observer and Global Entry Was Reportedly Revoked Three Days Later
- West Midlands Police Reportedly Relied on Erroneous Copilot-Generated Intelligence in Maccabi Tel Aviv Away-Fan Ban Decision
- ICE Facial Recognition App Mobile Fortify Reportedly Misidentified Woman Twice During Immigration Enforcement in Oregon
- Purported Facial Recognition Error Reportedly Led to Arrest and Monthslong Jailing of Tennessee Woman in North Dakota Fraud Case
- New Orleans Police Reportedly Used Real-Time Facial Recognition Alerts Supplied by Project NOLA Despite Local Ordinance
Source record: incident #1698 on the AI Incident Database · all 1 report