Two New Bedford Officers Face Firing Over 900+ Unauthorised Flock Plate Searches

Two New Bedford police officers allegedly misused the Flock licence plate system for personal surveillance. Chief Jason Thody has recommended both be terminated.

New Bedford Police Chief Moves to Fire Two Officers After Audit Exposes Flock Abuse

Two New Bedford police officers face termination after an internal affairs investigation found they had used the department's Flock licence plate recognition system to conduct hundreds of searches for personal reasons, according to redacted reports released to the press last week, as newbedfordlight.org first reported.

Officer Emily Pacheco searched the plate of her ex-girlfriend more than 650 times in the system. She then ran the plate of that ex's new romantic partner more than 200 times during the summer, logging each search under the reason "traffic infraction." Sergeant James Marinelli was found to have run his girlfriend's plate nearly 70 times, tagging those queries with justifications including "hit and run," "trespass," "alcohol offenses," "disorderly conduct," and "assault/battery."

Police Chief Jason Thody has recommended termination for both officers. The recommendation now goes to Mayor Jon Mitchell for approval. Because Pacheco and Marinelli are union members, each is entitled to a hearing before any dismissal can take effect.

Audit Triggered by Public Forum

The investigations were opened after Thody ordered a full audit of the department's Flock usage on 31 July. The system had been in operation since November 2024 and has been suspended since last month. Thody initiated the audit directly after a public meeting in late July at which more than a dozen residents voiced concerns about how Flock was being used.

Both internal affairs reports note the same origin: "This case was initially brought to the attention of the Chief's Office after a public forum was held with … members of the public that wished to voice their concerns. After that meeting, Chief of Police Jason Thody requested an audit."

Thody confirmed last week that routine audits had not been taking place before July. In their place, he said, there had been a "supervisory review" of searches. He is now recommending monthly audits and a stronger departmental policy going forward.

How the Misuse Was Detected

The department was alerted to the anomalous activity by Flock's own audit assistance tool, introduced by the company this year. The tool flags unusual or high-frequency searches for review by department staff. It functions only on data from 2026 onward; records from earlier periods require manual analysis.

For Marinelli, the tool flagged multiple plates for review. Investigators determined that three belonged to people with personal connections to the sergeant. He allegedly searched those plates 68, 16, and three times respectively, with the bulk of the activity occurring in spring and summer.

In February 2025, Marinelli had signed the department's memorandum of understanding committing to use Flock solely for legitimate law enforcement purposes. The agreement explicitly lists personal use among the prohibited activities.

Pattern of Simultaneous Tracking

Investigators found that Marinelli had also run the plate of a man who appears to be his girlfriend's former partner from six years earlier. On multiple occasions he searched both plates in close succession — "sometimes within minutes of each other," the report states. That pattern of simultaneous tracking lasted approximately five days in July.

When investigators contacted the man whose plate had been run, he confirmed he and Marinelli were mutual acquaintances and said he was surprised to learn of the searches. Asked why he thought his plate was being queried, he said he believed Marinelli "probably thought [redacted] was cheating on him with [redacted]."

The woman Marinelli had been dating told investigators she was already aware he had searched her plate. She declined to provide a statement.

A third plate — run three times — appeared to belong to a former partner of Marinelli. Investigators noted that both individuals shared the same surname, suggesting they "were married or separated." The report states that investigators attempted contact and sent a letter to the registered owner.

"At this point I believe the Flock data shows Sergeant Marinelli was actively tracking [redacted] utilising Flock as a form of electronic surveillance," investigators wrote. "Marinelli invoked his [Fifth] Amendment rights and chose not to be interviewed so I cannot confirm any of this with him."

Four Policy Violations Sustained

Internal affairs sustained four policy violations against Marinelli, among them making false official reports — logging "hit and run," for example, as the stated basis for a search conducted for personal reasons.

His use of the system "to gather information about a significant other and that person's former significant other has broken public trust that these resources would only be used for legitimate law enforcement purposes," the report concluded. The actions were said to have "upset the order within" the department and "negatively impacted the agency and those associated with it."

Although the sustained violations do not include commission of a criminal act, both Marinelli and Pacheco were asked to sign a form used when criminal charges stemming from an investigation remain a possibility. Thody said he has kept the Bristol County District Attorney's Office informed of the findings and will refer the cases for possible criminal prosecution.

The New Bedford Light contacted Marinelli by email for comment; he did not respond. Department policy bars officers from speaking to the press without the police chief's permission, a separate rule whose breach can itself result in disciplinary action.

Union Responds

Union President Lorenzo Gonzalez issued a statement on behalf of the New Bedford Police Union acknowledging the damage caused.

"While the actions of two of our members utilising the Flock system have caused distrust, anger, and frustration amongst the people of our community, it is important to note that the overall membership of the New Bedford Police Union will still continue to serve and perform our duties and responsibilities to the best of our abilities," the statement reads. "We hope our community realises that the poor actions of the few do not stain the good actions of the" broader membership.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)