Barrow County investigator arrested for misusing Flock license plate cameras

An investigator with the Barrow County Sheriff's Office resigned and was arrested for allegedly misusing the agency's Flock automated license plate reader system, Atlanta News First reported. Investigator Stephanie Howard turned herself in at the county jail and faces charges including violation of oath by a public officer and improper handling of license plate data.

The Barrow County Sheriff's Office initiated a self-audit of its license plate readers, which revealed several suspicious inquiries made by Howard over about six months, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. This led to an internal investigation ordered by Sheriff Jud Smith to identify any policy violations.

The internal investigation found evidence suggesting possible criminal violations, prompting the sheriff's office to involve the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Howard was released on a $7,500 bond after surrendering voluntarily, FOX 5 Atlanta added.

This case comes amid broader scrutiny of how law enforcement officers across Georgia use automated license plate readers. Atlanta News First noted that previous investigations uncovered multiple cases where officers misused Flock Safety's database, leading to disciplinary actions and a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on surveillance transparency and civil liberties.

Flock Safety asserts that every search is logged and audited, but public records advocates have raised concerns about the company's removal of officer names and license plate numbers from audit logs, complicating efforts to track improper searches. This has sparked debate among local leaders and homeowners associations about balancing community safety with personal privacy.