this post was submitted on 10 Sep 2026
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Georgia college student reportedly received a ticket from a cop after a Flock camera flagged her newly purchased vehicle as having no insurance when it did. According to a WSB-TV report, posted by podcast host Kacee Allen, the car has a temporary license plate, but the student presented a valid insurance card. Despite this, the officer reportedly still issued a citation. The incident reportedly happened twice, and the student now has to defend herself in court

According to the news report, the database that Flock cameras rely on was yet to be updated. This caused the system to falsely flag the newly purchased vehicle.

Renee Jones, the student’s mother, said her daughter was doing everything required of her. This included maintaining insurance and carrying proof of coverage.

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[–] Zak@lemmy.world 176 points 1 month ago (2 children)

In a just world, the officer, the police department, and Flock would all owe her compensation. I'd put the amount at about 10x the fine for the offense.

[–] Melobol@lemmy.ml 35 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The problem is that any fees cops get for doing stuff coming out of tax money.
In a way I understand why, but it just bullshit at the end of day.

[–] Zak@lemmy.world 69 points 1 month ago (7 children)

A proposal I've seen floated a few times is to require police to carry liability insurance individually and give them a stipend for an average/reasonable amount. This is usually paired with changes to qualified immunity to make lawsuits and insurance claims easier.

The idea is that risky behavior from police costs them money personally.

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[–] helpImTrappedOnline@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Break it down; ~~2% cop 5% department 25% flock~~ 2x cop 5x department 25x flock

The extra 20 from flock goes back to taxpayers who had to pay the department's portion.

[–] Zak@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

That adds up to 30%. Maybe you meant 25/50/25.

I'd have to know more before breaking it down. If Flock told police departments that these alerts are up to date and reliable, I might assign them up to half the blame. If there were clear that the information could be a few days old, then I'd set it smaller, but not to zero because I think offering an "alert" product to law enforcement for minor administrative offenses based on stale data is irresponsible.

Similarly for the department and the officer, I have to ask whether there's a policy about how to handle this sort of thing. If there's a bad policy, the department gets most of the blame. If the officer decided to ignore a valid insurance card and trust a third-party database, the the officer gets most of the blame.

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[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 127 points 1 month ago (15 children)

I’m struggling to process how the fuck that cop could still write a ticket after seeing a valid proof of insurance. The sheer arrogance is ridiculous

[–] Tippy@sh.itjust.works 100 points 1 month ago (4 children)

There's an infamous video of a cop who tickets an amputee for holding a cellphone in her non existent hand. He triples down in the video that she had the phone specifically in her missing hand WHILE she is holding up the stump and laughing at him. She of course disputed it, agency stupidly stood by their braindead officer until it got to court when suddenly the cop begged for the entire thing to be dropped, after proceedings had started, wasting everyone's time and taxpayer dollars.

They are so used to never being questioned, and having zero consequences when they are because of qualified immunity, that their brains are incapable of processing that they are fucking up something incredibly simple.

[–] klugerama@lemmy.world 52 points 1 month ago (1 children)

after proceedings had started, wasting everyone's time and taxpayer dollars.

That was the point - that is, that's why the cop didn't just walk away. He knew he was wrong, but she embarrassed him. He knew that he could just force the issue right up to the last minute, and there would be no consequences for him. Major hassle and inconvenience for her, but he still gets paid and there's almost certainly no negative repercussions for him.

He was deliberately making life more difficult for her, because his feelings were hurt. It wasn't out of ignorance, it was out of childish malice.

[–] Manjushri@piefed.social 23 points 1 month ago

Plus there is probably some percentage of people who will just pay a fine rather than losing time at work to go to trial. That may have been what he was hoping for.

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 1 month ago

We're pretty close to the anniversary of the events that ended up in the creation of the "qualified immunity" doctrine which was September 13, 1961. The case involves the civil rights movement, 15 priests, Mississippi, and law enforcement overreach. It's a good read.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierson_v._Ray

[–] Teknikal@anarchist.nexus 18 points 1 month ago

Seen one where the cop decided a Blind man's white cane was a weapon as well. There's probably even worse going on that doesn't make the Internet.

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[–] Elgenzay@lemmy.ml 54 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Apparently they can write tickets for things that are objectively false. There's bodycam footage of cop giving a ticket to a woman a few months ago for using her phone while driving. He said "with your right hand" before she showed him that she doesn't have a right hand. Gave her a ticket anyway

[–] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 5 points 1 month ago

That chick was the perfect level of petty! Video cracks me up every time.

"Soo.... We just gonna call it here, or...?"

[–] CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works 29 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I've seen other examples of this in bodycam videos from Georgia on YouTube where Flock wasn't involved at all. The cops claimed that they only go by what their computers say regardless of whether the person has proof of insurance on hand. In one notable example, a cop stopped an elderly couple at around midnight for the same reason, ignored their proof of insurance, and left them stranded on the side of the road after towing their car. The husband was disabled and couldn't walk.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

It's not just Georgia

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 25 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It's that thing where your brain locks in on your first understanding of a situation and it's harder to change after that point. Cops, being morons, are extra susceptible to it.

[–] Malica@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 month ago

The trust they have in it is the scariest part. It gives flock enormous power.

[–] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

That's a funny way of spelling "sheer ignorance"

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[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 101 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Was she black?

Edit: yup, she was black. I hope the officer suddenly runs out of blood soon.

[–] mysticalone@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago

that was my first question seeing the headline. shame on flock and the officer

[–] IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works 69 points 1 month ago (1 children)

So I had a suspicion, and yup, this was another ticket for DWB. Flock was just the excuse du jour.

[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It certainly sounds "more legitimate" than pulling them over for a failure to use a blinker or doing too sharp of a left turn, as friends and victims of DWB can attest to having happened to them.

Although given the paper trail here, it is probably easier to fight in court.

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[–] xthexder@l.sw0.com 61 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What's crazy to me is how this insurance database lookup even makes sense... Most insurance companies give you a grace period to add new vehicles if you have an existing policy. For mine in Washington, I have 14 days to tell my insurance if I've bought a new car, and it's covered under my existing policy until then. Flock would have no way of looking up this information and has no justification to flag a vehicle like this...

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 15 points 1 month ago

Bold of you to assume cops use logic

[–] brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago

What's crazy to me is that someone, somewhere thought big brother was necessary for enforcing car insurance at all.

[–] SirEDCaLot@lemmy.today 57 points 1 month ago

Honestly she should sue for malicious prosecution. She was driving the vehicle legally with insurance, she proved that to the officer by showing her paperwork, and then, knowing that she had insurance and the complaint was baseless, the officer wrote the ticket anyway.

This should be an open and shut case.

[–] yetAnotherUser@lemmy.ca 53 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The police officer did the right thing. As we all know, computers are always right /s

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 30 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They have to. If they start admitted it's making mistakes, there might be a push to take them down. And then we're be sooooo insecure. Even though it doesn't seem like the cameras are being used to actually fight crime.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Even though it doesn’t seem like the cameras are being used to actually fight crime.

Just in the last week I noticed a huge uptick in news articles about crimes being solved "with the help of" Flock systems. They're trying too little, too late to drive the narrative.

[–] dil@piefed.zip 6 points 1 month ago

Facebook is being flooded, thers a cat in the hat dude locally that is copying the clown trend from a decade ago, every braindead person on there is saying see this is why we need flock cameras and trying to jusitfy more.

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[–] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 39 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If the cameras are sending cops after non-existent crimes, how are they helping with efficiency or cost?

[–] tburkhol@slrpnk.net 17 points 1 month ago

People pay fake tickets because it's too expensive to fight them.

[–] boaratio@lemmy.world 34 points 1 month ago

ACAB as usual.

[–] db_null@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I hate nothing more than people blindly following what an algorithm tells them. What's the point of paying this idiot cop if they're dumber than an outdated database?

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[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 22 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Look, I'm not saying that I support these Big Brother-type companies, but if the cop is just gonna follow the instructions on their computer and not even think for themselves, then we should cut out the middleman. Flock should send tickets directly to offenders. You're far less likely to get shot that way.

<s>
What recourse could an AI company possibly have over someone? Negative social credits.
Run a stop sign? Social credit goes down. Rob a Walmart? Social credit goes down. Murder someone? Social credit goes down, but more. Safely follow all road laws? Fuck you, this counter only goes down. Have low social credit? Believe it or not, social credit goes down.

How do we use these social credits to keep society in line? Public registry. Look up why anyone has their social credit score. Filter by thefts at Walmart and buy those people beers.
</s>

But seriously. If the Justice system is willing to automate and outsource police work, then get those fucking cops off the streets.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 5 points 1 month ago

You're far less likely to get shot that way

Well... Until they start putting guns in the cameras anyway.

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[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 22 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Computer says ~~no~~ ticket.

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[–] sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Too bad there's not malpractice but for cops

[–] bhamlin@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (4 children)

There is, kinda. It's called the "Brady List" and kinda almost can do the same thing.

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[–] SailorFuzz@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

oh cool, so now we have a private company directing our police force.

And the relationship is both symbiotic and exponential. The police make money writing tickets, that money goes to the local govenment, and that government can buy more flock cameras. More flock cameras, more tickets, more money, more flock cameras.....

Cyberpunk distophia here we come!

[–] Quexotic@infosec.pub 17 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Also its a DWB, but with flock... Nice.

At least the upcoming lawsuit should pay for college.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

being black was absolutely the real crime the cop was concerned with, the insurance bullshit was just manufactured cause.

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[–] apftwb@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

To continue, please select all the squares that contain a gun:

black men holding wallets

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well we know cops are dumb and lazy as a group... imagine once you give them license to turn off the remaining brain power as AI is thinking for them, what could go wrong?

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[–] frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If the cameras are sending cops after non-existent crimes, how are they helping with efficiency or cost?

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