A troubling episode unfolded in Texas when police officers were found using a national license plate reader system to monitor a woman who had conducted a self-administered abortion, even though the procedure is legal in that state.
The officer involved worked for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in Cleburne, a community near Fort Worth, where abortion is prohibited except in life-threatening situations.
On May 9, the officer used Flock cameras, which have license plate reading technology, to search for the unidentified woman.
In urgent situations, police can search surveillance video without obtaining a warrant, and they generally can also view footage from cameras located in public areas.
An officer with the sheriff’s office reportedly searched Flock cameras and gave the reason as, ‘had an abortion, search for female,’ according to sets of data reviewed by 404 Media.
The data revealed that the office searched cameras nationwide, combing through 83,000 license plate readers to look for the woman.
Johnson County Sheriff Adam King told the publication that authorities were searching for the woman because, ‘her family was worried that she was going to bleed to death, and we were trying to find her to get her to a hospital.’
‘We weren’t trying to block her from leaving the state or whatever to get an abortion. It was about her safety.’
Police officers with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in Cleburne, Texas, used surveillance camera footage to locate a woman who had an abortion
Authorities used footage from Flock camera technology to comb through license plate readers to locate the woman
Abortion is illegal in Texas except in cases where the procedure could save a life. (Pictured: Demonstrators gathering in front of the Texas Capitol after the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade)
King told 404 Media that the department got a few ‘hits’ when they searched for the woman’s license plate in Dallas, but that Flock camera footage didn’t ultimately lead to authorities locating the woman.
Two days after the department located her plate in Dallas, they made contact with her and verified that she was okay.
The sheriff added that they performed a nationwide search instead of limiting it to their jurisdiction to ensure, ‘we’re hitting everything, every possibility.’
Flock told 404 Media that the company provides technology that individuals can leverage ‘in a way that reflects their values.’
Sheriff Adam King said the department was looking for the woman because her family was concerned and not due to her abortion
‘We support democratically-authorized governing bodies to determine what that means for their community,’ the statement continued.
‘Flock does not decide which criminal codes to enforce in Texas or Washington. We rely on the democratic process. And in this case, it appears Flock was used to try to locate a vulnerable person who may have been a danger to herself.’
Since Roe V. Wade was overturned in 2022, abortion rights returned to the states, with many outlawing the practice entirely.
In Texas, almost all abortions are prohibited, and there are civil and criminal penalties for those who have them or medical practitioners who perform them.
Flock told 404 Media ‘Flock does not decide which criminal codes to enforce in Texas or Washington. We rely on the democratic process. And in this case, it appears Flock was used to try to locate a vulnerable person who may have been a danger to herself’
The only exception to the law is if the health of the patient is at risk. Texas doesn’t allow exceptions for rape or incest like other states.
The Justice Department decided in November 2023 that the Constitution protects interstate travel to receive an abortion.
Abortion rights activists and advocates against surveillance have previously expressed concern that police could use advanced technology to locate those who have had abortions while living in states where it’s illegal.
‘Lawmakers will likely pressure police and prosecutors to use all of the tracking tools they have to target health providers, pregnant people, and anyone helping them to access care,’ the Stop Surveillance Technology Oversight Project said before Roe V. Wade was overturned.
‘And with all mass surveillance, there will be countless bystanders targeted, too, those who will be jailed because of miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and inaccurate data.’
Most states don’t typically prosecute those who have had an abortion, however, there were over 200 pregnancy-related prosecutions in the year after Roe V. Wade was overturned. (Pictured: Protestors marching in Amarillo, Texas, protesting the ban on abortion pills)
Most states don’t criminally prosecute individuals who have had or assisted with abortions.
However, a study conducted by Pregnancy Justice revealed that there were at least 210 pregnancy-related prosecutions from June 24, 2022, to June 23, 2023.
Nearly half of those prosecutions occurred in Alabama, about a third in Oklahoma, and only six in Texas.
Most of the prosecutions were related to alleged child abuse, while five concerned allegations of abortion.
Those who were prosecuted for abortion related instances faced charges ranging from homicide to child neglect.
