Officers accused of misusing Flock cameras

ATLANTA (ANF/Gray News) — The Fayetteville Police Department fired three of its officers after they allegedly misused the Flock camera system, the department announced on July 17.

According to police, testing of a new auditing feature revealed that the officers had conducted searches outside their scope of work — including looking for their own plates or those of friends and family. The three, who have not been identified, were put on administrative leave before being terminated.

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“The department will not speculate regarding the intent behind those searches,” the police department said in a statement. “However, searches of this nature are subject to strict scrutiny and were determined to have been conducted without a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, thereby constituting a violation of department policy.”

The police department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct a criminal investigation. No charges have been announced yet.

Several law enforcement officers in north Georgia have recently been accused of searching through the system for reasons unrelated to their jobs. In June, a Greene County deputy was arrested and fired — and later that month, three Cherokee County deputies were as well.

An Atlanta News First Investigation previously found that Flock cameras were being used for more than just investigating crimes. Information about when a car was seen at a specific location remains in the database for 30 days and is shared with hundreds of external agencies. Some cameras are also designed to follow people as they walk.

The system has prompted nationwide protests, with activists concerned about the possible invasion of privacy. Earlier this month in Barrow County, the sheriff’s office said it was looking for vandals who damaged several Flock cameras, cutting down camera poles and severing solar power equipment.