Deputies now must follow a "stringent protocol" to use license-plate-reading cameras at the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. The new protocol comes in the wake of six deputies who were charged with accessing the cameras for personal use.
"The citizens of Richmond County expect and deserve the highest level of integrity from every member of the sheriff's office. When an employee violates that trust, we will take the appropriate action," Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley said Friday in a news conference to address this issue and others. "Our badge represents accountability, responsibility and public trust, and there is no place in this agency for conduct that compromises those principles."
after probe
Since June, deputies Joshua Johnson, Jaquarius Yarbrough and Jose Ferrer; investigators Curtis Hoskins and Sean Morrow; and Lt. John McKenzie all lost their jobs and were charged with misuse of license plate readers and violating their oath of office.
Before, 330 certified RCSO officers shared access to the cameras. All they had to do, Brantley said, was log on to their work computers to access Flock.
Now, on-shift supervisors will gatekeep all Flock use requests. The requests must include a case number, a description of the criminal offense, and the requesting officer's badge and computer numbers.
Deputies will still digitally receive Flock alerts to help them perform their duties, but will be unable to enter plate numbers by themselves.
The RCSO relies on almost 200 Flock Safety cameras to read license plates, record vehicle details and curate a searchable movement database to help officers gather evidence in active criminal cases.
Flock is used routinely to provide leads in investigating homicides, robberies and other crimes, so "the good outweighs the bad" regarding the cameras, the sheriff said.
"Often the news breaks of those officers who have chosen not to uphold their oath and betray the trust of the public," Brantley said. However, "there are good employees who are standing in the gaps, still serving, still committed, and still pushing forward, serving this community."
The arrests of deputies in Augusta come at a time when Flock cameras are under fire for their misuse. Law enforcement personnel throughout Georgia in recent months face similar charges for misuse of the licence-plate readers.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Richmond County sheriff tightens Flock access after 6 deputies charged
