New Bedford fires two police officers over license plate camera misuse

NEW BEDFORD New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell fired Officer Emily Pacheco and Sgt. James Marinelli on Thursday after a police department investigation found both officers misused the city's automated license plate reader cameras, city officials said.

The firings followed a recommendation from Police Chief Jason Thody, who announced Sept. 3 that he wanted both officers terminated. The department said then that both would face disciplinary hearings under state civil service law that could end in termination.

"The conduct uncovered by the Police Department's internal audit represents more than failure of compliance with policies and regulations; it is a breach of public trust," Mitchell said, WPRI 12 reported.

What the investigation found

Thody ordered a full audit of the department's use of Flock on July 31 after concerns were raised about possible misuse of the system, the department said in its Sept. 3 statement, and the audit flagged activity by Pacheco that same day. Her access was suspended at once and the case went to the department's Professional Standards Unit. She was placed on administrative duty Aug. 1 and on paid administrative leave Aug. 10 in connection with a court matter, the department said.

Investigators sustained violations of several department policies by Pacheco involving the license plate system and the misuse of department resources, the department said. She was also found to have entered inaccurate information into department systems, failed to follow department procedures and engaged in conduct inconsistent with the department's standards. The department said its resources were used for purposes outside legitimate law enforcement work and that the conduct "undermined public confidence in the proper use of law enforcement resources."

The audit flagged Marinelli's activity Aug. 5, and his Flock access was shut off the same day. The Professional Standards Unit found he used the system for personal reasons, including searches that could not be substantiated as legitimate law enforcement inquiries and that listed inaccurate or unsupported reasons, the department said.

"Members of the New Bedford Police Department are entrusted with authority and access to sensitive information that the general public does not have," Thody said in September. "Our officers are held to a higher standard, and when that trust is violated, it is exceptionally disappointing and damaging. While the Flock audit brought these concerns to our attention, the misconduct identified goes far beyond the misuse of Flock technology. The technology did not fail us; these officers failed us, and they must be held accountable."

The officers' side

When investigators interviewed him, Marinelli invoked his Fifth Amendment right and chose not to give a statement, WBSM reported in September from the internal affairs report.

Under state civil service law, an employee who is fired may appeal in writing to the Civil Service Commission within 10 days of receiving written notice of the decision, not counting weekends and legal holidays. The commission holds a preliminary hearing within 60 days after the appeal is docketed and, if needed, a full hearing within 180 days, unless the parties agree otherwise or a commissioner grants a delay.

How New Bedford has used Flock

The department bought the Flock system in 2024, before Thody became chief, and suspended its use the week of Aug. 11 while it reviews how the cameras have been used since then. Thody said at the time that Flock "can be a valuable investigative tool" but that technologies like it "raise legitimate questions about privacy, access, information sharing, and oversight."

In a June statement, the department said the cameras capture images of license plates and vehicle details visible from public roads, do not use facial recognition, and delete their data after 30 days unless it is saved for a criminal investigation or another legitimate law enforcement purpose. It said the system keeps an audit trail of user activity so misuse can be found.

In the same statement, the department said it shared Flock data with about 125 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts and within 50 miles of the city, including 13 Rhode Island departments, and that federal sharing, including with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was turned off. It said the system had helped in homicide, robbery, shooting, stolen vehicle and missing person cases, including a March 2025 homicide case in which the suspect's car was detected by a Flock camera outside Springfield, which helped lead to his arrest.

What happens next

The department's audit, which began in July, is still going, city officials said Thursday. They said they are also developing a regulatory framework to guide any future use of license plate readers in New Bedford.

The department said in September that Thody was reviewing its rules for license plate readers and that it had drafted a set of possible restrictions and safeguards meant to curb misuse and balance residents' privacy with public safety. It asked residents to share their views by email at shareyourthoughts@newbedfordpd.com or through its online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/WSVZP5L. The department has said it will release more about Flock's future in New Bedford once its review is complete.

Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.