One license plate. More than 3,200 searches. A Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy out of a job.
Terminated from Jefferson Parish Department for misuse of its access to Flock Safety’s network of automated license plate readers is Nathan Rome, popularly known as DJ Bulletproof, after confessing that he had accessed his former fiancé’s plate numbers thousands of times within three years. These queries dated back to 2024 to 2026 and were discovered after a journalist raised concerns regarding abnormal activities in the third party watchdog website. The internal investigation at the Department started on August 17 while Nathan Rome confessed on the next day after waiving his rights.
He told investigators the two had remained friendly after their relationship ended and that he was checking to make sure she made it home safely. Investigators then spoke with the woman. She confirmed she knew about the tracking, said she did not consider herself a victim, reported no history of domestic violence or stalking, and stated Rome had never shown up at the same location after querying her plate. She declined to file a criminal complaint and asked that he keep his job.
Sheriff Joseph Lopinto fired him anyway.
“You can’t use the Flock system as your own personal Life 360. That’s a problem,”
Lopinto said. The department called the conduct “a serious violation of JPSO policy, regardless of the circumstances.” No criminal charges have been announced, though officials noted a potential criminal review remained part of the process.
Flock cameras take pictures of license plates and vehicle information as vehicles move past particular areas and create searchable databases that are accessible by authorized law enforcement officials. Flock cameras have been applauded by those who claim that they assist in solving crimes such as car thefts and missing people cases. However, the system has its detractors.
Lopinto acknowledged that existing audits mainly show who ran a plate rather than clearly flagging personal misuse, and said the department is working with Flock to strengthen detection tools. The case underscores a larger issue: how thousands of searches on one person continued for years until outside scrutiny exposed the pattern. Police surveillance systems may help fight crime, but do they yet have enough built-in protections to stop personal misuse before it reaches this scale?
