Police officers in Indianapolis are accused of abusing Flock camera system

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Five Indianapolis officers face charges for abusing Flock camera system access.
Charges include fraud, misconduct and stalking; one officer resigned amid investigations.
Chief Tanya Terry emphasized maintaining public trust and departmental integrity despite misconduct.

SALT LAKE CITY — In Indianapolis, four police officers and a former officer are accused of abusing the department's Flock camera system.

The five officers face fraud and misconduct charges, with one officer facing stalking charges. During investigations, all five officers were suspended and had their access to automatic license plate reader systems revoked, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement.

"Today is a deeply disheartening and disappointing day for IMPD," the department's Chief Tanya Terry said in a statement. "These individuals' actions went far beyond a clerical error or a violation of department policy. These actions crossed into criminal conduct and shook the foundation of trust that our agency is built upon."

One officer resigned after criminal investigations were initiated, and the department said the findings of each resulted in its recommendation to terminate the other four.

Michael Rogers, an officer of 16 years; Cassandra Crawley, an officer of seven years; and Matthew Binford, an officer of four years, all face charges of fraud and official misconduct, according to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Abigail Cramer, the officer of five years who resigned, also faces the same charges.

Jonathan Schultwz, who spent 18 years on the force, faces an additional stalking charge because investigators said he used the surveillance system to track women in an effort to interact with them.

Another officer is accused of using the system to look up the location of his ex-wife's car more than 950 times over a six-month period.

Terry continued her statement by pointing to the mission of her department, promising to continue its service with professionalism and accountability.

"But I refuse to let the actions of a few define the work of this department and the hundreds of officers who show up every day with one mission: to protect our community," she said. "They put others before themselves. They run towards danger as others run away. They wear this badge with pride and serve with integrity and respect. They do the right thing.

"We will continue serving with courage and compassion, as well as professionalism and accountability. Maintaining public trust is not optional, and it must be a daily practice. Each one of us has a role in upholding that standard."

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