License plate reader cameras are popping up across Louisville. (Justin Hicks / LPM )An officer with the Shively Police Department is suspended without pay and facing criminal charges for allegedly using license plate reader cameras to track and harass a woman in Kentucky and Indiana.Police arrested Asad Zahir Tuesday and charged him with multiple counts of official misconduct and unlawful access to a computer after discovering he used the department’s Flock camera system to conduct more than 2,000 searches on license plates belonging to the woman he shares a child with, according to court records.Shively Police Chief Andre Bottoms said the small department is a tight, close-knit bunch and charging one of his officers “was a gut punch.”“It’s almost like locking up a member of my family,” he said. “But I do take my responsibility of being the chief seriously…we still got to do what’s right by the public.”Flock license plate readers are facing intense scrutiny across the country from anti-surveillance activists, civil liberty advocates and everyday citizens over concerns about intrusive monitoring of public spaces. The fervor over Flock has led some cities to peel back or end their use of the license plate reading cameras.The cameras are affixed to roadside poles and can photograph passing vehicles, logging license plates in a database that can be accessed by law enforcement across the country. Louisville Metro Police officials disciplined and demoted a commander earlier this year after the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting revealed an officer shared his Flock login credentials with a federal agent conducting immigration enforcement.Shively Police started using Flock about four years ago and Bottoms said it’s a helpful tool that’s aided in recovering stolen vehicles, finding missing children and solving homicides.“But the value of this technology does not excuse its misuse,” he said during a press conference Wednesday morning.Zahir tracked the woman from January through May of this year, Bottoms said. More than 200 of the searches occurred during a time in which the woman Zahir targeted had received an Indiana court issued protective order against him, he said.Flock’s artificial intelligence-based monitoring system alerted Shively Police on Monday that Zahir’s searches were flagged as potentially improper, Bottoms said.Zahir immediately lost access to Flock, he said. Less than 24 hours later, police determined the searches had no legitimate law enforcement purpose and they arrested him at the Shively Police Department.The investigation is ongoing and Shively Police are still reviewing which cameras Zahir searched to track the woman. Zahir joined the police department in 2022. He has lost all police powers while on suspension. He is due in court for arraignment on Friday.Bottoms said this incident sparked a review of the department’s policy and protocols for Flock use. Additionally, any officer using Flock must now list a case number along with searches in order to access the Flock system, Bottoms said.“It's a very effective tool,” he said. “And we don't want to be judged on the poor decisions made by one officer. We're going to tighten up our policies.” ...read more read less