More than 4,000 unauthorized searches. Five people she personally knew. Zero legitimate cases attached to any of them. That is the scope of what authorities say Laurie Moore, a senior investigator with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, did with a surveillance tool designed to catch criminals.
The Albany case lands inside a growing national pattern of law enforcement personnel turning AI-powered license plate readers into personal tracking instruments.
What She Allegedly Did
A 13-year veteran of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office now faces criminal charges for allegedly running thousands of unauthorized plate searches on people she knew personally.
Moore, 47, was arrested following an internal investigation that found she allegedly ran thousands of unauthorized searches through Flock Safety‘s automated license plate recognition system. Authorities say none of those searches were tied to an official case.
Investigators say approximately 3,000 of those searches targeted a former girlfriend’s plate. Four additional plates belonging to other personal acquaintances were queried hundreds of times each, according to Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple.
Moore also faces accusations of improperly accessing New York State DMV records for non-investigative purposes. She has been charged with two misdemeanors: second-degree falsifying business records and official misconduct.
She was suspended indefinitely following her arrest. At least one command staff member has been placed on administrative leave while internal investigators examine oversight and policy compliance. Moore is scheduled to appear in New Scotland Town Court on September 24.
How It Came Apart
An outside tip triggered the internal audit that exposed more than a year of alleged misuse.
Sheriff Apple said the tip arrived on a Friday, prompting an immediate investigation and full audit of the Flock system. Internal Affairs expanded the review and uncovered the full scope of unauthorized searches, spanning roughly a year beginning in late 2024.
Department protocol required investigators to document a reason for every Flock query. Moore’s entries, authorities say, did not align with any legitimate casework.
Flock Safety produces networked, AI-powered license plate reader cameras installed on public roads, neighborhood entrances, highways, parking lots, and school campuses across 49 states. The system logs where and when specific plates appear, making that data rapidly searchable for law enforcement investigating crimes, stolen vehicles, or missing persons. In the wrong hands, it also functions as a detailed map of someone’s daily movements.
What happened here is a breach of that trust. And for that, I’m truly sorry. But let me be clear. It also demonstrates that when somebody abuses that trust, we’ll hold them accountable.
Craig Apple, Albany County Sheriff
What Changes Now
Albany County has tightened Flock access controls, but the case raises questions that extend well beyond one department.
The Albany County Sheriff’s Office moved quickly to restrict access after the discovery. Deputies no longer have direct access to the Flock system; only supervisors and investigators may run queries. Every usage now undergoes an Internal Affairs audit every 30 days, escalated to an undersheriff or chief for review.
Separate investigations in Georgia found multiple officers misusing Flock data for non-law-enforcement purposes, resulting in firings and criminal charges after internal audits identified the same pattern of improper searches. The Albany case is not isolated.
Law enforcement officials argue the Albany outcome shows oversight working: misuse was identified and punished. Critics contend that internal policy controls alone are insufficient. They point to the need for statutory limits on ALPR deployment and data retention periods.
Accountability in Albany arrived after roughly a year of alleged abuse and thousands of unauthorized searches. That timeline matters for every jurisdiction weighing a new Flock contract, and for every resident whose plate passes through one of those 49 states daily.
