NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - Two New Bedford police officers were fired following internal investigations into their misuse of Flock Safety’s Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) system, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell announced Thursday.
After an internal investigation and subsequent hearings for Officer Emily Pacheco and Sgt. James Martinelli, New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody determined that both misused ALPR technology and violated department regulations, Mitchell said.
According to the report, Pacheco was flagged for searching one license plate, believed to be her ex-girlfriends, 658 times between January and July of this year, and a second plate 229 times. The second plate was believed to be her ex-girlfriend’s new partner.
The investigation also determined Sgt. Martinelli searched one license plate 68 times between May and July of this year. Investigators said Martinelli believed his partner was cheating on him.
Pachecho and Martinelli’s access to the Flock system were both suspended after the investigation began on July 31, 2026.
“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 in a statement. “The men and women of the New Bedford Police Department strive to keep the public safe and are expected to uphold their oaths to perform their duties consistent with the law. The two officers in question failed that standard and are being held accountable.”
Thody also recently launched a separate, wide-ranging examination of the Department’s approach to ALPR technology using public feedback, Mitchell said. He said he, Thody, and members of the New Bedford City Council are “in the process of developing a regulatory framework that would guide any future use of ALPR by the City.”
New Bedford shut off their Flock cameras in August. The future of the program remains unclear.
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