DENVER, Colo. — A Denver woman is filing a federal civil rights lawsuit after she says police misused Flock Safety cameras to falsely charge her with stealing a $25 package from a porch in the town of Bow Mar.
Chrisanna Elser is suing Flock Safety, the towns of Columbine Valley and Bow Mar, and two police officers. She says police tracked her movements for nearly a month and tried to tie it to the missing package.
Columbine Valley Police Sergeant Jamie Milliman issued a criminal summons to Elser at her home in Denver last September, accusing her of stealing a $25 package from a porch in Bow Mar just a few blocks away.
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"We have cameras everywhere in that town. You can't get a breath of fresh air in or out without us knowing," Milliman told Elser in bodycam footage obtained by Denver7.
The Columbine Valley Police Department said Flock Safety cameras had recorded Elser driving through Bow Mar 20 times that month.
"It's 100% no doubt, a lock. She did this. I'm I'm sorry, but it's true," Milliman told Elser in the video.
Elser says it took two weeks of calls and emails to get the summons voided, using dashcam footage from her Rivian to prove her innocence.
"It's very nerve-wracking going through there and knowing that there's probably a bell going off that says 'hey she's coming through, watch her extra carefully'. or 'watch people that don't have an address in here'. That's very concerning," she said.
Civil rights attorney Andy McNulty has now filed a federal lawsuit on Elser’s behalf, questioning the legality of those actions.
"Someone is tracking your movements when you're not suspected of a crime, convicted of a crime. There's no warrant out for you for your arrest," McNulty said. "That is a search under the Constitution. It's an illegal search.”
McNulty said the lawsuit could have broader implications across the country.
"We're looking to get Flock an injunction, stopping Flock from doing this across the country and here in Colorado as well," McNulty said.
Both Bow Mar and Columbine Valley declined to comment.
A spokesperson for Flock Safety sent a statement to Denver7 regarding the lawsuit:
“Flock is an investigative tool used alongside other evidence to help law enforcement solve crimes. As noted in the complaint, the Flock system accurately identified the location of Ms. Elser’s vehicle, while law enforcement retained responsibility for interpreting and weighing that information as part of the broader investigation. Flock stands by the accuracy and integrity of its technology and intends to vigorously defend itself in this litigation.”
Elser says she was nearly placed on administrative leave because of the incident and now worries about where else she is being tracked.
"I just hope that they just do more due diligence with their information, and that looking at a tool like this is just scary," Elser said.
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