Hall County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office Completes Audit Finding Seven Employees Misused Flock License Plate Readers, Sheriff Blasts Vendor for Lacking Safeguards
- 17GEN4
- 4 hours ago
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Hall County Fires 3 Deputies, 4 Resign Over Flock Camera Misuse
HALL COUNTY, Ga. — The Hall County Sheriff’s Office has fired three employees and accepted the resignations of four others after an internal audit uncovered unauthorized use of the Flock Safety automated license plate reader (ALPR) system, including multiple off-duty searches not approved by the agency.
The audit, completed Sept. 4, 2026, reviewed 758 searches and flagged 85 as suspicious. All seven cases have been referred to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation or Hall County Solicitor for possible criminal charges, as well as to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, which could revoke certifications.
One of the latest cases involves Deputy Brandon Sanders, employed since December 2021. Investigators determined he used the Flock system multiple times while off duty for searches not authorized by the sheriff’s office. He resigned Friday as the audit wrapped up.
Other employees identified in the probe include:
Investigator Justin Brown, fired after unauthorized searches on at least two plates with no legitimate law-enforcement purpose.
Investigator Michael Atkins, fired after accessing the system at least four times for personal use.
Property crimes investigator Melissa Wood, fired after repeatedly searching for the whereabouts of someone she knew.
Deputies Jason Orellana (10 unauthorized searches requested by a colleague), Taylor McArthur (who asked a co-worker to run searches on people she knew), and Austin Scott Flanagan (personal searches).
Sheriff Gerald Couch issued a blunt assessment of both his profession and the Atlanta-based vendor. “As a profession, law enforcement failed, and as a company, Flock failed from the beginning. If your company name has the word safety in it, your products should include safeguards. From the outset, Flock did not provide audit tools for agencies and only recently introduced them,” Couch said. “Too many officers across the country and here at home used the time without oversight to misuse the system.”
Couch said the agency will keep using Flock because it has helped solve crimes, including locating a murder suspect, but has imposed tighter controls. Access dropped from 124 users to 24 who must complete specialized training. Every search now requires a specific criminal case number and offense type. Data retention was cut from 30 days to seven days unless needed as evidence. The system will automatically flag abnormal activity. The office also launched a public transparency portal.
“The answer to potential misuse isn’t always eliminating the tool,” Couch said. “Sometimes it’s making sure the people entrusted with it are using it correctly and holding them accountable when they don’t.”
Nationwide Pattern of AbuseThe Hall County cases are part of a surge of similar incidents across the United States in 2026. Flock Safety’s network of cameras, used by thousands of agencies, captures license plates and vehicle details that officers can search in a shared database.Investigations by USA TODAY, The Washington Post, and CNN documented dozens of officers using the system to track romantic partners, exes, family members, or acquaintances.
Examples include:
A Milwaukee officer who searched a partner 124 times and the partner’s ex 55 times.
Greer, South Carolina, officers fired after one tracked an ex-colleague and another ran unauthorized plates while entering false justifications.
A Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, deputy who searched his former fiancée’s plate “several thousand times.”
Multiple Georgia agencies, including Albany (five officers arrested and fired), Cherokee County, Gwinnett County, and others.
USA TODAY reported at least 19 employees in five states arrested, fired, or placed on leave in a two-month span after its reporting prompted agencies to check their logs. The Washington Post found that in many cases departments had not been routinely auditing usage until journalists or victims flagged it.
Flock has responded by making its “Audit Assistance” tool mandatory by the end of 2026. The feature flags unusual search patterns and can lock accounts pending review. The company also now requires case numbers for most searches and shortened default data retention to seven days. CEO Garrett Langley has acknowledged earlier shortcomings, saying the company “got this one wrong” on requiring case codes sooner.
Some agencies have canceled or declined to renew Flock contracts amid the scandals and privacy concerns. Others, like Hall County, have chosen to tighten internal rules rather than abandon the technology.
The Hall County story was among items highlighted by the news aggregator 17GEN4.com, which linked to local reporting on the sheriff’s criticism of Flock.
Flock Safety did not immediately issue a specific comment on the Hall County audit in the reports reviewed. The company has previously stated that officer abuse is “completely unacceptable” and that those who misuse the system should be held accountable.
Hall County Fires 3 Deputies, 4 Resign Over Flock Camera Misuse Meta Description:
Georgia sheriff’s office audit finds 7 employees misused Flock license plate readers, including off-duty searches. Sheriff Gerald Couch slams Flock for lacking safeguards as national abuse.
Hall County Deputies Fired for Flock Camera Misuse After Audit
Hall County Sheriff fires 3 deputies and accepts 4 resignations after audit finds unauthorized Flock license plate reader searches, including off-duty use. Sheriff Gerald Couch slams Flock Safety for lacking safeguards.
Nationwide Police Abuse of Flock Cameras: Dozens Fired
Dozens of officers nationwide fired or arrested for misusing Flock license plate cameras to track partners, run unauthorized off-duty searches, and falsify records. Growing 2026 scandal over ALPR abuse.
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