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NEW BEDFORD – Mayor Jon Mitchell has fired two officers after internal investigations found they used the Police Department’s automated license-plate surveillance system for personal purposes.
The officers, Emily Pacheco and Sgt. James Marinelli, were dismissed Thursday, according to the mayor’s office. Police Chief Jason Thody recommended their termination in September after investigators found they had used the Flock system to track current or former romantic partners.
“Our officers are entrusted with access to sensitive law enforcement information and are expected to use that access only for legitimate law enforcement purposes,” Thody said in the news release. “This conduct falls far short of the standards expected of every member of this department and police officers in general.”
Internal affairs reports previously obtained by The Light found that Pacheco searched her former girlfriend’s license plate more than 650 times and the plate of her former girlfriend’s new partner more than 200 times. Marinelli searched his girlfriend’s plate nearly 70 times, investigators found.
In a news release announcing the firings, the mayor’s office said the dismissals completed the first phase of an audit examining the department’s use of Flock in 2026. The system has been suspended since Aug. 11. A separate review of searches from Dec. 20, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2025 remains underway. The city said it would release those findings when the review is complete.
Mitchell defined the conduct of the officers as “a breach of public trust.”
“The men and women of the New Bedford Police Department strive to keep the public safe and are expected to uphold their oaths to perform their duties consistent with the law. The two officers in question failed that standard and are being held accountable.”
“Coming from the standpoint of the union, we feel as though the mayor could have perhaps taken a different approach,” said Lorenzo Gonzalez, president of the New Bedford Police Union. “But we are going to be pursuing avenues of appeal for the process.”
Gonzalez said that, after consulting an attorney, both Marinelli and Pacheco plan to appeal their terminations and seek reinstatement.
Gonzalez said the mayor should have considered lengthy suspensions rather than firing the officers, citing shortcomings in the department’s policy governing automated license-plate readers. He credited Thody with working to strengthen the policy and add safeguards against misuse.
While the firings of Pacheco and Marinelli end the disciplinary proceedings, Flock’s future in the city remains unsettled. With an audit still underway and the contract expiring Nov. 12, the city has yet to decide whether to resume using the technology.
How the Flock controversy unfolded
New Bedford purchased the Flock equipment in late 2024, introducing cameras that photograph passing vehicles and make their license plates and other identifying features searchable by police. By summer 2026, 20 cameras were operating in the city.
Public opposition grew over the summer. At a July 28 public meeting, residents voiced concerns about privacy and demanded that the city cancel its contract. Three days later, Thody ordered an audit and suspended Pacheco’s access, according to the city.
Until then, the department had not been conducting regular audits of officers’ searches, despite a policy calling for them, Thody later acknowledged to The Light. He said searches had instead undergone supervisory review.
On Aug. 10, Pacheco was served with an abuse prevention order after her former girlfriend accused her in a court affidavit of using Flock to follow her. A judge found that Pacheco posed a credible threat to the woman’s physical safety.
The following day, a day after The Light asked the Police Department about Pacheco’s alleged misuse of Flock and hours after follow-up inquiries citing details from the court affidavit, Police Chief Jason Thody announced that the department was temporarily suspending its use of the system pending a review of all past use.
On Sept. 3, Thody recommended firing Pacheco and Marinelli after investigators concluded that both had used the system for personal purposes.
On Sept. 24, the City Council voted 8-3 to give initial approval to an ordinance barring the city from operating license-plate readers or renewing contracts for them. Councilor Shane Burgo described it as a temporary measure while officials developed more detailed regulations.
The City Council is scheduled to take up the ordinance again on Oct. 22, following its initial approval on Sept. 24. The ordinance would prohibit city use of ALPR and mass location-tracking technology, including purchasing or operating systems and renewing or continuing contracts.
On Monday Oct. 26., councilors are scheduled to consider Thody’s recommendations for regulating the technology, with the chief and city technology and legal officials invited to attend.
In a September 24 letter, Thody endorsed audits, training and limits on data retention, while arguing that police should retain control over camera placement, access and other routine operational decisions.
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, The Light will host “Flock: Public Safety vs. Privacy,” a Community Conversation examining the use of automated license-plate readers. Panelists include New Bedford Police Chief Jason Thody, Fall River iInterim Police Chief J.T. Hoar, ACLU attorney Gideon Epstein and state Rep. Steven Owens, who has introduced statewide regulations on the technology.
The discussion will take place at Keith Middle School from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Email Eleanora Bianchi at ebianchi@newbedfordlight.org.
