Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company, is at the center of a national conversation about safety and personal privacy.
The company operates a nationwide system of license plate reader cameras, as well as other law enforcement assistance technologies, that allow agencies to more accurately identify specific vehicles that may have been involved in a crime.
However, opponents of the technology say it creates a system of surveillance that not only is used for crime fighting, but to also track residents and create profiles of people independent of their involvement in anything illegal.
There has also been a long list of law enforcement officers across the country who have used the database created by Flock, and other license plate reader companies,
to make personal searches and stalk and harass people.
Following a string of arrests of officers in Georgia, the Atlanta Police Department said it would conduct it's own audit.
Atlanta Police announce proactive audit
The Atlanta Police Department announced Monday it would be moving forward with a "proactive audit of personnel usage of license plate reader technology" within the agency.
The department said it "values public trust in its use of all necessary tools and technology," but is "unable to provide additional details at this time."
Atlanta Police did not specify that the license plate readers are operated by Flock Safety, but Flock tracking organizations have reported more than 240 Flock cameras within the Atlanta city limits, with many more in the greater Atlanta metro.
Unflocked, and anti-license plate reader organization, reports more than 3,000 agencies have access to Flock's camera network, and Atlanta is seen as "ground zero" for Flock cameras as the company's headquarters. Primary corridors of Flock camera usage are along I-285, I-75, I-85, Peachtree Road, Roswell Road and throughout suburban HOA communities, according to Unflocked.
More than a dozen GA officers arrested
The internal audit, whether of Flock cameras or other license plate readers, comes as more than a dozen law enforcement officers across Georgia have been arrested for misuse of the technology in recent weeks.
In June, an internal audit in Albany, Georgia, assisted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, found five Albany Police officers had been using the Flock license plate camera system for personal searches. Officers faced between two and 12 counts of misuse, and were against officers between the ages of 23 and 32.
The same month, two supervisor-level officers with the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office were arrested and terminated for accessing the agency's Automated License Plate Reader system for non-investigation reasons. A deputy faced the same charges from the department earlier in the month and was also let go.
In July, a sheriff's deputy from Greene County is faced the same charges for accessing the Flock system for personal reasons over a three-month period, the Greene County Sheriff's Office said.
Later in the month, a 17-year veteran of the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office was fired and arrested for misusing Flock license plate data, which was identified during an internal probe.
Four officers in Richmond County and three officers in Fayetteville all face similar charges in recent weeks. But misuse of license plate readers by law enforcement in Georgia goes back even further.
In recent reporting from the Washington Post, the case of former Braselton Police Chief Michael Steffman was investigated further as his ex-girlfriend says "Have I been Flocked" data shows he searched for her vehicle tags, and those of her daughter, more than 600 times. Steffman was arrested on charges of harassment and stalking using license plate readers in November 2025.
Steffman's stalking victim told the news outlet she had mechanics check her car for trackers, installed cameras around her house and would receive messages from Steffman as if he knew where she had been. She said Steffman later admitted he was following her on Flock cameras.
Flock says system is working
In recorded comments sent to USA TODAY from Flock Safety, company co-founder and CEO Garrett Langley called the recent arrests "disappointing," but they show anyone using license plate readers "should be held accountable."
"We heard from customers loud and clear, we heard from communities loud and clear, Flock should do more. There should be more responsibility, more accountability built in," Langley said, applauding the company's recently launched internal audit program.
"The way the audit assistance tool works is very similar to how your bank account when you log in from a new city when you're traveling says 'hey, I want to double check who you are.' It's not saying that you've done something wrong, it's just saying that this is abnormal," Langley said. "(The tool) is flagging potential abnormal activity so that in an audit review you can know where to start."
Langley said the company has built in accountability since it's inception nine years ago, but it has been "more effective than anyone expected."
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Police launch proactive audit amid Flock arrests in Georgia
