Patricia Valley says her license plate was searched more than 300 times and will not seek another term
9-24-26
Methuen West End City Councilor Patricia Valley revealed Thursday that a Lawrence police captain had sent her what she called threatening text messages after she raised questions about Lawrence Police use of the Flock surveillance system.
The captain warned her to “be careful” about what she said publicly and advised her to hire an attorney, Valley revealed during an exclusive interview on the Paying Attention! Podcast with Valley Patriot publisher Tom Duggan. (video below)
During the interview, Valley also announced that she will not seek reelection next year.
NUMBER OF SEARCHES IN DISPURE
NOT IN DISPUTE: VALLEY WAS FLOCKED!
Less than 24 hours earlier, Valley disclosed on Facebook that, according to records published on HaveIBeenFlocked.com, her license plate had been searched 359 times in Lawrence over little more than a one-year period.
Lawrence Police have disputed Valley’s interpretation of those records. The police chief issued a statement saying that 359 represented the total times an officer had accessed the Flock system during that period – not the number of times Valley’s license plate had been searched.
Lawrence Police say Valley’s plate was searched only once, in connection with a May 2025 hit-and-run investigation.
Valley did not seem to accept that explanation and says it still does not explain why her vehicle apparently remains connected to an active investigation after police determined that her Mercedes was not involved.
POLICE CAPTAIN WARNS VALLEY TO “BE CAREFUL”
At one point during the podcast interview, Valley looked into the camera and said:
“And another thing I’d like to say publicly—because I know he’s watching—is stop sending me text messages at 9 a.m. asking me to meet with you and Chief Aguiler, and to be careful with what I say, and advising me to hire an attorney, because I know my rights. So stop testing me.”
When Duggan asked whom she was talking about, Valley answered:
“He knows because he’s watching. He’s a captain. Like, what is that about? ‘Be careful what you are saying?’ I don’t need that, and I don’t need their advice!”
Valley then told Duggan that she had been sent a screenshot of the podcast announcement promoting her appearance.
She showed Duggan the text messages on the air, with the name of the officer visible at the top of the screen.
Valley then pointed toward the camera and said, “STOP! STOP!” as though she were speaking directly to the captain involved.
FLOCKED OVER A HIT-AND-RUN SHE HAD NO PART IN
The day before the exclusive podcast interview, Valley wrote on social media:
“When I voted to approve Flock cameras in Methuen, I did so in good faith. I believed they could be a useful tool for our police officers, and I trusted that a technology this powerful would be used responsibly, transparently, and with the proper safeguards.”
“A personal experience involving the Lawrence Police Department has caused me to look at this technology very differently. Through the public-records transparency website Have I Been Flocked, I discovered records indicating that my license plate had been searched through the Flock system 359 times over a two-year period.”
Valley said she contacted the Lawrence Police Department after learning that her vehicle had been connected to an investigation involving an accident in May 2025.
Lawrence Police said the search was connected to a hit-and-run involving another white Mercedes—not the one owned by Valley.
“But according to this, I am still under investigation,” Valley said during the podcast.
“So they sent a request to the Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Registry, and my question is, what is the reason for that when the car involved in the hit-and-run was not mine?”
“So, why are they doing this? All I am asking is – [for them to] remove that tag that I’m under investigation and give me a copy of the report.”
STILL “UNDER INVESTIGATION”
Valley said Lawrence Police refused to provide her with a copy of the hit-and-run report, telling her that the matter was “still under investigation,” even though the incident occurred more than a year ago and police had determined that her vehicle was not involved.
“My intention was not for this to blow up,” Valley said. “I don’t want to bash any city police department because I know I cannot judge an entire department by my experience with one person. There are great cops with great integrity and honesty.”
Valley said she came forward “to raise awareness” and encouraged others to visit HaveIBeenFlocked.com to see whether their license plates appear in Flock search records.
She said that the publicly available information identifying her as someone “under investigation” could damage her real-estate business or be used against her by a political or business rival.
Valley also said she had never been contacted by Lawrence Police about the hit-and-run or notified that she had been identified in the database as someone under investigation.
While she understands that investigative procedures must be followed, Valley said, “It is difficult for me to understand how an investigation involving my vehicle can remain active since May 2025 without anyone ever contacting me about it.”
Valley concluded that even if Lawrence Police are correct that her vehicle was searched only once in connection with the hit-and-run, it still does not explain why her name and vehicle were not removed from the investigation after police determined that she was not involved.
NO MORE FLOCK IN METHUEN
Less than 24 hours after Valley publicly disclosed her situation, Methuen Mayor D.J. Beauregard and Acting Police Chief Jamie Moore announced that the city was ending its use of the Flock camera system.
Existing cameras were ordered covered while arrangements were made for their physical removal.
VALLEY WILL NOT SEEK REELECTION
Toward the end of the podcast interview, Duggan asked Valley whether she planned to seek reelection next year.
Valley stunned him by revealing that she will not.
“I am tired of political attacks,” Valley said. “I am going back to focusing on my business. I am negotiating a real-estate franchise overseas, which will require a lot of traveling.”
“So, wait a minute—you’ve already decided you aren’t running for reelection?” Duggan asked.
“Yeah, I’m done,” Valley said in disgust. “Enough is enough.”
“So this has really affected you that much?” Duggan asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Valley said. “This is the second one.”
Valley was referring to a previous investigation involving then-Lawrence Police Sgt. Mike Simard, during which she was publicly accused of involvement in voter fraud one week before the election and after she had been cleared of the allegation by the Secretary of State’s Office.
Valley ran against Simard in the last election, when two West End City Council seats were at stake. Valley and Simard won the two seats, edging out disgraced former Methuen School Committee member Dan Shibilia.
The campaign left Valley and Simard as bitter political rivals.
Simard retired from the Lawrence Police Department approximately one month ago.
Interview starts at 31 Minutes 30 seconds