The University of Georgia Police Department disciplined a civilian information technology employee after an audit found he used Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader database twice for unauthorized personal inquiries.
Atlanta News First reported Sept. 11 that the unidentified worker was suspended without pay for 20 business days, demoted and stripped of access to investigative databases. The university’s official announcement said an Internal Affairs review determined the conduct violated department policy but was not criminal.
The 2025 searches involved off-campus incidents reported to other agencies: a hit-and-run that damaged a family member’s vehicle and a theft at a local business. UGA said the employee had database access but lacked a supervisor’s permission, and neither outside agency requested his help.
UGA had already tightened its rules in July following misuse cases elsewhere. Internal searches now require authorization from a sergeant or higher. Requests from agencies outside Athens-Clarke County need supervisor approval, and the department plans monthly reviews of system activity.
The case differs from recent criminal allegations involving Flock systems across Georgia. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged four former Savannah police employees in August with using plate-reader data for non-law-enforcement purposes. Five former Albany officers were arrested in July on similar allegations. The charges are allegations and have not been adjudicated.
Georgia law permits access to captured license plate data only for legitimate law enforcement purposes and makes knowingly obtaining or using it under false pretenses a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
UGA says its plate readers are one part of a campus safety initiative exceeding $30 million over the past decade. The episode underscores whether stronger approvals and routine audits can prevent personal use before residents’ location data is compromised.
