Habersham deputy arrested for misuse of Flock Camera System as Georgia cases continue to rise

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — A Habersham County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been fired and arrested after an internal audit found he allegedly used the agency’s Flock Safety license plate reader system for personal purposes, adding Habersham County to a growing list of Georgia law enforcement agencies confronting misuse of the increasingly common technology.

The Sheriff’s Office announced July 31 that former Deputy Christian Brewer accessed retained license plate data for what the agency described as “personal, non-law enforcement purposes.” Investigators determined the searches involved an individual with whom Brewer had a personal relationship at the time.

Brewer was terminated and booked into the Habersham County Detention Center on one felony count of violation of oath of office and two misdemeanor counts of misuse of license plate data.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the completed case will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution.

Brewer had worked for the Sheriff’s Office since May 6, 2024.

Random internal audit uncovered alleged misuse

Sheriff Robin Krockum’s handling of the incident is noteworthy because the alleged misconduct was uncovered through a random internal audit. Many of the other statewide Flock violations were uncovered by audits conducted following complaints.

The agency publicly announced the arrest on July 31, explained the nature of the alleged misuse and acknowledged that the employee involved had access to a powerful investigative tool.

“The people of Habersham County trust us with authority and access to sensitive information,” Krockum said. “This trust is earned every day and can be lost in a single decision. Any misuse of our authority or the tools provided to your deputies is a betrayal of that trust. Although this was an isolated incident, I will not tolerate misconduct. We will hold our own accountable because the public we serve deserves no less.”

How Flock cameras work

Brewer’s arrest comes amid increasing scrutiny of Flock Safety systems and a growing number of Georgia law enforcement employees accused of using license plate reader databases for purposes unrelated to their official duties.

Flock cameras automatically photograph vehicles traveling within their view and record information including the license plate, vehicle characteristics, location, date and time. The cameras do not identify the driver or contain personal information about the registered owner.

Habersham County says its Flock information is retained for 30 days before being purged. But during that retention period, authorized users can search previously captured vehicle records. That historical search capability allows investigators to enter a license plate—or certain vehicle characteristics—and determine whether and where a vehicle was observed by cameras available to the agency. It can help investigators reconstruct a vehicle’s movements after a crime, locate stolen vehicles or identify vehicles associated with missing or endangered people.

While the historical database has been used in most cases involving reported violations, Flock also offers a Hot List feature that works in real time by alerting law enforcement when a flagged vehicle is detected. Instead of searching where a vehicle was previously observed, an authorized user can flag a plate so that law enforcement can receive an alert when participating cameras detect it.

Both capabilities are valuable investigative tools. The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office says it has used the cameras on multiple occasions to locate missing children and adults and to recover stolen vehicles. Still, the Flock system’s ability to search where a vehicle has traveled creates the potential for abuse when an authorized user turns the system toward a personal acquaintance, romantic interest or another person without a legitimate law enforcement purpose.

Surge in Flock violations

Georgia has recently seen a surge of criminal cases involving alleged misuse of Flock or other automated license plate reader information.

Cases have involved personnel connected to agencies including the Albany Police Department, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, Echols County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office, Conyers Police Department and Braselton Police Department.

The Habersham County arrest brings the documented Georgia total to at least 20 people arrested or criminally charged in cases involving alleged misuse of automated license plate reader systems.