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The officer has been placed on administrative leave and was required to surrender department-issued equipment and credentials, as well as firearms.
The New Bedford Police Department released additional details Wednesday afternoon about its decision to suspend the use of Flock cameras, including an internal investigation into an officer accused of using the system to search her ex-girlfriend’s license plate.
The department suspended its use of the automated license plate readers on Aug. 11 while it conducts a review of the system and considers whether it should be used in the city. New Bedford has used Flock since 2024.
When the department began an audit of its Flock cameras July 31, it identified an officer whose activity “raised concerns about potential unauthorized use of the system,” Police Chief Jason Thody said in a statement shared on Facebook Wednesday.
Thody did not identify the officer, but said they were served an “emergency retraining order” Aug. 10.
The officer was then placed on administrative leave and required to surrender department-issued equipment and credentials, as well as firearms, Thody said. The officer’s license to carry was also suspended.
An affidavit filed in New Bedford District Court and obtained by Boston.com reveals that Officer Emily Pacheco is under investigation for allegedly utilizing her department’s Flock camera system to track her former girlfriend.
A protective order against Pacheco was extended for six months during a hearing last Thursday.
During the hearing, Pacheco acknowledged that she had used Flock to run her ex-girlfriend’s license plate but maintained that the searches were for professional reasons. She also said she used the system “daily” as part of her work as a police officer.
The ex-girlfriend wrote in the affidavit that she and Pacheco had been in a relationship for about two and a half years before she ended it in early April.
After the break-up, the woman alleged that she “received endless calls and text messages” from Pacheco, “even after asking to be left alone,” per the affidavit. The ex-girlfriend added that Pacheco continued to reach out through social media before she blocked her on all platforms.
The woman further alleges that Pacheco generated fake phone numbers to contact her and showed up to her home unannounced, refusing to leave when asked.
In one instance, on April 26, Pacheco allegedly pulled into the woman’s home while on duty. Pacheco then “got out of her cruiser” and “refused to let me leave,” the ex-girlfriend wrote in the affidavit.
The document also refers to the New Bedford Police Department’s internal investigation into Pacheco.
“As of recently, there is an open IA investigation of her running my license plate through Flock to follow me,” the affidavit states.
Thody said the department’s audit identified a “personal connection between the officer and an individual associated with a license plate that had been searched.” The individual was subsequently notified and interviewed by the department’s Professional Standards Unit, he said.
Thody declined to comment further on the specific allegations while the investigation remains active, citing the need to “protect the integrity of the investigation and the due-process rights of everyone involved.”
“Transparency does not require us to prejudge an investigation,” Thody said. “It requires us to identify concerns when they arise, take appropriate action, thoroughly investigate the facts, and report those facts to the public when we are able to do so responsibly.”
The police chief also provided additional details about the broader audit of the department’s use of Flock.
Because the department lacks a database for identifying vehicles tied to officers’ personal contacts — including family, friends, acquaintances, and current or former partners — pinpointing improper searches requires a “more detailed examination” of search contexts and usage patterns, according to Thody.
The audit includes an examination into the number and frequency of searches, alignment between stated search justifications and assigned law enforcement duties, instances of recurring searches, patterns involving repeated use of searches, and any other conduct that appears to deviate from standard police operations, Thody said.
During parallel audits initiated the week of Aug. 3, police uncovered “additional outliers and anomalies.” While a significant portion of these have been confirmed as valid law enforcement applications, Thody said that certain instances remain under review.
“There is a significant amount of data to examine, and I intend for this audit to be thorough and capable of identifying any unauthorized use that may have occurred,” Thody added.
The department has not yet decided whether it will resume using Flock. Thody said he will consult with elected officials, as well as the Bristol County District Attorney’s office and City Solicitor’s Office, to evaluate whether and under what conditions the technology should be reinstated.
Thody acknowledged the conflicting opinions surrounding the technology within the community.
“I have heard from community members who strongly support keeping this technology because of its value to public safety. I have also heard from those who believe the Department should discontinue its use because of concerns regarding privacy and potential misuse,” he said. “Both perspectives deserve to be heard.”
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