AI License Plate System Wrongly Tracks Journalist Before Police Surround Range Rover: 'Are You Armed?! Get Out!'

Four police vehicles surrounded a $155,000 Range Rover in a Minnesota car park after an AI-assisted licence plate system incorrectly flagged it as linked to a stolen plate.

Within moments, automotive journalist Joel Feder was at the centre of a high-risk stop during what had begun as a routine test drive.

'Are you armed?! Get out of the car!' an officer shouted, according to Feder, as officers treated the vehicle as potentially stolen.

The incident was later traced to a data-entry mistake involving a manufacturer plate that had been circulated through Flock Safety's automatic licence plate recognition network.

Feder, director of content and product at automotive publication The Drive, subsequently detailed how a single input error led to an armed police response. He said the episode altered his view of AI-driven licence plate systems and the risks when inaccurate information enters those databases.

'The Plates On This Car Are Stolen'

Officers initially told Feder they were investigating a possible stolen plate linked to the Range Rover, although they were unsure whether the vehicle itself had been taken.

After running the vehicle identification number, police confirmed the SUV was legitimate. The focus then shifted to the New Jersey manufacturer plate attached to the vehicle.

'The plates on this car are stolen,' an officer told Feder, according to his account of the encounter.

The explanation appeared at odds with the vehicle's history. The Range Rover was part of a manufacturer media fleet, where vehicles are logged and tracked when provided for automotive reviews.

Police later showed Feder images from Flock Safety cameras that had captured the vehicle and triggered the alert.

How A Plate Error Triggered An AI Alert

According to Feder's account, the issue began after a Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Los Angeles reported a manufacturer plate as missing.

The plate used a number format found on New Jersey manufacturer plates, where smaller digits appear alongside larger characters. Feder said the stolen plate report recorded only the larger characters, leaving out the additional digits that distinguished it from the plate attached to the Range Rover.

The incomplete entry became significant when the vehicle passed through Flock Safety's automatic licence plate recognition network. The system treated the plate as a possible match and generated alerts for law enforcement agencies using the technology.

Feder said officers later told him other Jaguar Land Rover vehicles with similar manufacturer plates could also have been affected. The record was eventually corrected after officers contacted Jaguar Land Rover and confirmed the vehicle's status.

What Are AI Licence Plate Recognition Systems?

Automatic licence plate recognition (ALPR) systems use cameras and software to capture vehicle plates and compare them against databases used by law enforcement agencies.

Companies such as Flock Safety provide these systems to police departments, allowing officers to receive alerts when vehicles associated with investigations are detected.

Flock Safety, founded in 2017, provides camera systems used by thousands of communities and law enforcement agencies across the US to help identify vehicles linked to investigations.

The technology is used for purposes including locating stolen vehicles, investigating crimes and identifying vehicles connected to police records.

However, the accuracy of these systems depends on the quality of the information they process. In Feder's case, the alert stemmed from incorrect data being entered into the system rather than from a stolen vehicle.

The Debate Over AI‑Assisted Police Technology

Feder said the experience changed how he viewed automated licence plate systems and their potential consequences when inaccurate information enters the network.

'We now live in a surveillance state where cameras mounted on stoplights are tracking our cars, our devices, our pets, and even us,' Feder wrote after the incident.

He argued that a mistaken alert could create serious consequences for drivers who have done nothing wrong, particularly when automated systems are used alongside routine law enforcement operations.