NORTHEAST GEORGIA — A Now Georgia review of Flock Safety license plate reader use across Northeast Georgia uncovered a policy violation involving a former Stephens County deputy. In Hall County, however, the Sheriff’s Office says “technical difficulties” have prevented it from accessing and retrieving records requested as part of the same review.
The findings come amid growing scrutiny of the technology. Now Georgia’s review of agency announcements and reporting has identified 26 arrests involving personnel from 15 Georgia agencies, with another 12 personnel under investigation by three agencies.
The local review began after a Habersham County deputy was arrested in July and expanded as Now Georgia sought to determine whether other improper Flock searches had occurred in Northeast Georgia.
On Aug. 10, Now Georgia requested audit records from sheriff’s offices in Rabun, White, Habersham, Hall and Stephens counties.
What came back — and what did not — varied significantly.
Stephens audit uncovers improper search
Stephens County provided an Aug. 5 memorandum from Sheriff’s Lt. Adam Shirley detailing a random audit of the agency’s automated license plate reader activity from Jan. 1 through Aug. 1.
The audit found that former agency user Chrischen Knotts searched his wife’s vehicle on Jan. 10 using “traffic infraction” as the listed reason.
Shirley determined the search violated Sheriff’s Office policy and described it as a “single occurrence.”
Knotts had already resigned and no longer had access to the system when the search was discovered. Shirley wrote that disciplinary action was therefore unavailable and that the incident did not, in his opinion, “rise to the level of prosecution.”
Public reporting from December 2024 identified Knotts as a sworn Stephens County deputy.
Georgia law prohibits knowingly obtaining or using license plate data under false pretenses or for purposes other than law enforcement. The Stephens County memo identifies Knotts’ search as a policy violation but does not provide enough information for Now Georgia to independently determine whether it violated state law.
Rabun, Habersham provide records
Rabun and Habersham counties responded to Now Georgia’s requests within the three-business-day response period and provided the requested information at no charge.
White County had not responded as of publication. Now Georgia sent a follow-up seeking the records.
Georgia law generally requires agencies to produce available public records within three business days. If that is not possible, the agency must respond within that period with a timeline for production.
Hall County cites ‘technical difficulties’
The Hall County Sheriff’s Office responded after Now Georgia sent a follow-up inquiry on the third business day.
Lt. Cameron Parker, the agency’s Records Unit supervisor and designated open records officer, said the Sheriff’s Office was having trouble accessing some of the requested material.
“We have encountered some technical difficulties in accessing and retrieving any remaining material covered under your request,” Parker wrote.
He estimated it would take seven days to complete the response.
Parker did not say Hall County’s cameras were offline or that the Flock platform was unavailable. He specifically cited problems “accessing and retrieving” material covered by the request.
Now Georgia asked Hall County to explain the nature of those problems, particularly after other agencies reported no similar issues.
A local Flock Safety representative contacted by Now Georgia, who asked not to be identified, said the system was functioning and reports remained available to agency users.
Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum also reported no problems.
“Working as of this afternoon,” Krockum said. “No report of it being down. No issues.”
Baldwin Police Chief Chris Jones, whose department operates one Flock camera, said his system was “functional at this time” and that he did not “know of any technical issues.”
Now Georgia also contacted Flock Safety directly seeking clarification about whether a wider technical problem existed. No response had been received as of publication.
Hall policy requires monthly audits
Hall County’s own policy raises additional questions about what records should be available.
The Sheriff’s Office revised its Automatic License Plate Recognition System policy Aug. 3, seven days before Now Georgia submitted its request. The policy requires documented ALPR audits at least monthly.
Those reviews include user activity, database searches, case numbers, permissions, unauthorized access attempts and security issues. Audit reports are also supposed to document findings, policy violations and corrective actions.
The policy states that logs documenting user access, database searches and administrative activity are to be retained for compliance reviews and investigations.
Hall County’s internal audits are not necessarily identical to the Flock-generated material Now Georgia requested. The policy does, however, require recurring, documented reviews of ALPR activity.
The Sheriff’s Office has not explained whether its technical difficulties affect Flock-generated information, its internally required audit records or both.
Hall officials do not explain problem
Parker eventually referred further questions to Criminal Investigations Bureau Commander Maj. Brad Parks.
When Now Georgia questioned why Hall County was unable to retrieve records that neighboring agencies had produced, Parks objected.
“Your assumptions of my agency or my intentions honestly are offensive,” Parks wrote.
Now Georgia followed up seeking a specific explanation and asked whether officials had ruled out unauthorized system access, a security compromise or a data leak. Parks did not answer those questions.
There is no evidence obtained by Now Georgia that Hall County’s Flock system was compromised or that a data leak occurred, and the Sheriff’s Office has not said either happened. Those possibilities were raised only while trying to determine the nature of the reported “technical difficulties.”
Assistant County Attorney Anna Schwaemmle later referenced Parker’s production timeline and the county’s ability to charge lawful costs for producing public records. Her response did not explain the technical difficulties.
A seven-day production estimate is not, by itself, a violation of Georgia’s Open Records Act. State law allows additional time when records cannot be produced within three business days, provided the agency gives a timely response and production timeline.
Flock adds safeguards
The local review comes as Flock Safety is strengthening safeguards following reports of improper use.
On Aug. 13, Flock announced plans to require law enforcement customers to use its Audit Assistance feature, designed to identify abnormal search behavior. The company also plans to require case codes for searches and reduce its recommended default retention period from 30 days to seven. However, Georgia law allows records to be retained for up to 30 months.
Flock audits have already played a role in Georgia investigations. Five former Albany officers were arrested after an internal audit identified searches allegedly conducted for non-law-enforcement purposes. A Conyers dispatcher supervisor was arrested after an audit showed more than 30 alleged improper accesses.
Review continues
The Northeast Georgia records obtained so far demonstrate why those audits matter.
Stephens County’s audit uncovered a search involving a deputy’s wife that the agency determined violated policy. Habersham County’s internal audit also flagged alleged misuse.
Now Georgia is continuing to examine records already provided and will seek the remaining Hall and White County records. Updates will be published as additional records and answers become available.
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