An EFF analysis of millions of searches of Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) data by police has uncovered a troubling pattern: in the absence of a warrant requirement to search ALPR databases, law enforcement agencies have moved beyond specific investigations to use these surveillance networks for virtually any whim.

Hundreds, or maybe thousands of you, reached out to me about covering the Reckless Ben Lego videos. Ben reached out to me as well. Basically, he made a video about a stolen Lego collection that ended with him getting arrested and charged by the American Fork Police Department in Utah County, Utah. I was immediately intrigued and I wanted to help him. But before I could do that, I had to understand all of the facts. I needed to talk to Ben himself. I got a chance to interview Ben and review all of the court documents. This is Part 1, where I interview Ben. In Part 2, we’ll dive into the documents and the video of the interactions.