Georgia lawmakers are considering tighter statewide controls on automated license plate readers after arrests involving law enforcement employees accused of searching Flock Safety data for personal reasons.
Republican state Sen. John Albers of Roswell, chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee, has joined a task force organized by the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association and Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. The group will review policies, training, access controls and auditing before potentially recommending legislation for the 2027 session. Albers stopped short of promising a bill.
Georgia law has regulated automated license plate data since 2018. It permits access and sharing only for a law enforcement purpose, requires agencies to maintain training policies and makes knowingly obtaining the information under false pretenses a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
The push follows at least 14 arrests this year tied to alleged misuse. Five former Albany officers were charged after an internal audit found searches unrelated to police work. Four former Savannah police employees were charged Aug. 21 in another case. The charges are allegations and have not been adjudicated.
Atlanta-based Flock Safety announced new safeguards last month, including a recommended seven-day default retention period, mandatory case codes, expanded audit assistance and proactive account lockouts for suspicious activity. Existing customers may retain previously approved storage periods. Albers said company controls should reinforce, not replace, sound law enforcement policy.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia has urged lawmakers to require greater transparency about agency data practices and confirmed misuse. Albers argues the cameras remain valuable for locating missing people, stolen vehicles and criminal suspects, warning against a total ban.
The task force is expected to present findings before lawmakers return in January. Its current review covers law enforcement-operated cameras; privately operated systems may require separate consideration.
