Cop Uses License Plate Reader Data To Stalk ‘Shiny Thing’ Also Known As A Human Being

A former Florida deputy, Lamar Eliseo Roman, used his department’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) data to stalk a woman he met on a film set. Roman, who was working security for the filming of Apple TV’s ‘Bad Monkey’, began by catcalling and whistling at female extras, and then focused his attention on one woman, exchanging names and cell numbers with her despite being told she had a boyfriend. When the woman didn’t respond to his advances, Roman used police resources to find her license plate information, entering her name into the Florida Driver and Vehicle Information Database and the Florida Crime Information Center.

He then added her plate to a ‘hotlist’, which alerted him when her vehicle was detected by a license plate reader. On February 19, Roman used this information to pull the woman over, reaching speeds of over 70 mph and nearly causing a head-on collision. The woman reported feeling uncomfortable during the stop, and Roman’s actions were eventually investigated.

He admitted to abusing police resources, saying he ‘saw a shiny thing’ and wanted to say ‘hi’. The woman decided not to press charges, but Monroe County did, and Roman was arrested and charged with abuse of computer access to an electronic device without authority, a third-degree felony. He was let go from his post and released on a $50,000 bond.

This incident highlights the potential for abuse of surveillance technology and the need for stronger laws to protect data and prevent such incidents in the future.