Hall County deputy arrested on harassing phone call charge

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A Hall County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave following his arrest on a misdemeanor charge of making harassing phone calls. This marks the latest personnel issue for an agency that has fired two investigators in recent days over alleged misuse of its Flock license plate reader system.

Gainesville Police charged 30-year-old Austin Scott Flanagan of Gainesville in connection with the alleged harassment, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).

Flanagan was taken into custody at Hall County Sheriff’s Office headquarters and booked into the Hall County Jail shortly after noon Tuesday, Aug. 25. He was released after posting a $650 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office said Flanagan has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. He has worked for HCSO since November 2022.

Third personnel action in less than a week

Flanagan’s arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny of personnel at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

On Monday, Aug. 24, HCSO fired investigator Michael Atkins after an internal investigation determined he accessed the agency’s Flock Safety system on at least four occasions for personal use unrelated to law enforcement purposes, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

Atkins, who had worked for HCSO since December 2012, was the second Hall County investigator fired over alleged misuse of the system.

Former investigator Justin Brown was terminated Wednesday, Aug. 19, after an internal investigation found he conducted unauthorized Flock searches involving at least two license plate numbers for purposes unrelated to law enforcement. Brown had worked for HCSO since December 2022.

The Sheriff’s Office referred the Brown matter to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for a criminal investigation. HCSO has said it is continuing to audit its Flock system and how agency personnel use it.