Conyers police supervisor arrested for tracking partner with tech
CONYERS, Ga. - A supervisor at the Conyers Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center has been arrested after the alleged misuse of automated license plate reading technology.
What we know:
An internal audit by the Conyers Police Department uncovered suspicious search activity linked to Paige Forte, a supervisor in the department’s Real-Time Crime Center.
A follow-up investigation showed that Forte allegedly used the police license plate tracking system for personal reasons instead of official work. Officials said she searched for her domestic partner's car multiple times to track where he was going.
Police placed Forte on administrative leave and asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to step in. The state investigation led to her arrest for misusing police equipment.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear how long the unauthorized searches were taking place.
What they're saying:
"The integrity of our department depends on the public's confidence that we use technology responsibly and within the law," Conyers Police Chief Scott Freeman said in a statement. "When we discovered information suggesting our policies may have been violated, we acted immediately by launching an internal investigation and requesting an independent criminal investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation."
What's next:
The criminal case will now move forward through the GBI and local prosecutors. They will handle future updates about court dates and specific charges.
Police leaders said they will keep doing regular audits to make sure officers and staff use tracking technology correctly in the future.
The Source: The information in this article was gathered from a press release by the Conyers Police Department.