PERSPECTIVE: "While automatic license plate readers have been fixtures on American roads for decades, Flock, founded in 2017, centralizes their data like never before, creating a vast, interconnected surveillance database for law enforcement agencies using information from its suite of products, including facial recognition cameras, drones and audio detectors.'
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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "On Sept. 27, a Columbine Valley police officer came to Chrisanna Elser’s door and issued her a summons to appear in court, accusing her of stealing a $25 package in the town of Bow Mar. The officer told her he had doorbell video of the theft and that he had tracked her car in the area using Flock cameras. “It is locked in. There is zero doubt. I wouldn’t have come here unless I was 100% sure,” Sgt. Jamie Milliman told Elser outside her front door. The only problem, Elser says, is that she wasn’t there, and she had evidence to prove it. She gathered dash camera footage from her car, a Google Maps location log, and doorbell video showing her walking into her tailor’s house at the time the package was stolen. “He just kept telling me that any evidence I had wasn’t worth it,” Elser said."
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STORY: "Police use Flock cameras to wrongfully accuse Denver woman of theft," by Reporter Anna Coon, published by KVDR News, on October 29, 2025. (Anna joined the FOX31 team as a reporter/multimedia journalist in September 2025);
GIST: "A Denver woman says she was wrongfully accused of theft after police tracked her car using Flock cameras.
The controversial tracking system is criticized by people with privacy concerns, but praised by law enforcement after police have successfully used it to track down and arrest criminals.
Aurora police chief talks about Flock, shows how it works in real time
The Columbine Valley police chief has since voided the court summons issued to her, but the woman says she never should have been accused in the first place, arguing her car was never at the address where the package was stolen.
On Sept. 27, a Columbine Valley police officer came to Chrisanna Elser’s door and issued her a summons to appear in court, accusing her of stealing a $25 package in the town of Bow Mar. The officer told her he had doorbell video of the theft and that he had tracked her car in the area using Flock cameras.
“It is locked in. There is zero doubt. I wouldn’t have come here unless I was 100% sure,” Sgt. Jamie Milliman told Elser outside her front door.
The only problem, Elser says, is that she wasn’t there, and she had evidence to prove it. She gathered dash camera footage from her car, a Google Maps location log, and doorbell video showing her walking into her tailor’s house at the time the package was stolen.
“He just kept telling me that any evidence I had wasn’t worth it,” Elser said.
Hundreds pack Denver town hall to share anger, concern on Flock camera contract
In one exchange, Milliman declined to let Elser see the doorbell footage of the theft after she denied stealing the package.
“You have not been honest with me, so I’m not going to extend you any courtesy of showing you a video when I don’t need to,” he told her.
Several weeks later, Elser was able to get in touch with Columbine Valley Police Chief Bret Cottrell, who reviewed her evidence and voided the summons.
In an email to Elser, Cottrell wrote, “After reviewing the evidence you have provided (nicely done, btw), we have voided the summons that was issued.”
Elser argues she shouldn’t have needed to prove her innocence and worries that Flock cameras could be used too aggressively by police.
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“They need to be used properly and with caution,” she said. “There needs to be a conversation, not a rush to accuse anybody and everybody.”
FOX31 reached out to the Columbine Valley police chief but has not heard back.
Now, Elser is urging her neighbors to collect their own digital evidence, in case they ever need it.
https://kdvr.com/news/local/police-use-flock-cameras-to-wrongfully-accuse-denver-woman-of-theft/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL:
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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