INDIANAPOLIS — Five current and former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers are facing dozens of criminal charges—including fraud, official misconduct, and stalking—following an internal investigation that revealed extensive personal misuse of automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office filed official charges following internal audits conducted in August and September 2026. The audits uncovered thousands of unauthorized searches using the city’s network of Flock Safety surveillance cameras to track personal acquaintances, romantic partners, and ex-spouses without any legitimate law enforcement justification.
Officers Named and Specific Charges
IMPD Chief Tanya Terry suspended four of the officers and recommended their termination, while a fifth officer resigned prior to the filing of formal charges.
The current and former officers charged include:
- Jonathan Schultz: Charged with 12 counts of official misconduct, 12 counts of fraud, and two counts of stalking. Court documents indicate Schultz used the system nearly 1,400 times to search 11 different women, including his ex-wife, a woman he met while investigating a stolen car report, and a gym acquaintance he routinely monitored.
- Cassandra Crawley: Charged with eight counts of official misconduct and eight counts of fraud.
- Abigail Cramer: Charged with six counts of official misconduct and six counts of fraud. Cramer resigned from IMPD during the preliminary investigation.
- Michael Rogers: Charged with three counts of official misconduct and three counts of fraud.
- Matthew Binford: Charged with one count of official misconduct and one count of fraud.
Allegations of Stalking and Personal Tracking
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears noted during a news conference that the officers frequently targeted individuals with whom they had direct personal or romantic relationships.
“These actions went far beyond a clerical error or a violation of department policy,” Chief Terry said in a statement. “These actions crossed into criminal conduct and shook the foundation of trust that our agency is built upon.”
According to court filings, the Flock Safety system allows officers to query vehicle movements across the city via department-issued computers and mobile devices. In one instance, Schultz allegedly ran a single woman’s license plate over 300 times and appeared unannounced at various locations she visited, including her gym and local businesses.
Prosecutor Mears warned that the ongoing review of system logs means additional charges or officers could be identified, stating, “This is definitely just the beginning.”
Policy Overhaul and Enhanced Auditing
IMPD officials emphasized that the reported misuse occurred prior to the implementation of a strict new ALPR policy enacted in August 2026.
Under the updated guidelines, all officers must explicitly agree to the rules to maintain system access, and every license plate search must be tied directly to:
- An active case or incident number.
- A National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) offense code.
Additionally, IMPD has instituted automated, enhanced auditing protocols to review search logs in real time, aim to catch potential system abuse immediately, and ensure surveillance tools are restricted strictly to legitimate public safety purposes.
