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S.T.O.P. Condemns NYPD Sergeant’s Alleged License Plate Reader Stalking, Urges Albany To Pass ALPR Limits
(New York, NY, 11/3/2026) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, condemned NYPD Sergeant Joel Dejesus’s alleged use of police surveillance tools, including automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and the department’s computer database, to track a female subordinate. Dejesus, who is also accused of sharing a nude image of the woman, surrendered to Bronx prosecutors Thursday and pleaded not guilty to computer trespass, official misconduct, and unlawful dissemination of an intimate image. S.T.O.P. warned that the case shows how easily the NYPD’s surveillance tools can be turned against the public and called on state lawmakers to pass legislation reining in ALPRs.
SEE: New York Daily News - NYPD sergeant arrested for sending naked photo of female subordinate, misconduct
https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/10/29/nypd-sergeant-arrested-sending-naked-photo-female-subordinate-misconduct/
“The NYPD’s Domain Awareness System apparently doesn’t distinguish between an officer doing a legitimate search and one pursuing a personal vendetta,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Research Director Eleni Manis. “This is what happens when you give thousands of officers a citywide tracking system with no real guardrails. Albany needs to pass A10808 before the next New Yorker becomes a target.”
In September, S.T.O.P. and LatinoJustice PRLDEF revealed that NYPD officers ran 1,710 searches of Flock’s nationwide license plate reader database between March 2023 and December 2025, despite the department publicly denying it had a contract with the company.
SEE: Press Release - NYPD Ran 1,710 Flock Searches Despite Publicly Denying Contract
https://www.stopspying.org/content-input/nypd-ran-1710-flock-searches-despite-publicly-denying-contract
S.T.O.P. is a lead advocate urging the New York State legislature to pass A10808A/S9890 to bar government use of ALPRs except for narrow purposes like locating stolen vehicles and missing persons. The bill also requires plate data to be deleted within 48 hours, requires a warrant to access private plate reader networks, and mandates logs of who searched the data and why. The bill would also let people tracked in violation of the law sue for damages.
SEE: New York State Assembly - A10808A, Relates to automatic license plate reader systems
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A10808
The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color.
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