CREDIT: Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office
LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. - The Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office is offering a $1,000 reward for information after someone destroyed a Flock Safety camera near Yahoola Creek Park.
What we know:
Sheriff Stacy Jarrard said the license plate reader was being used as a public safety tool, including to help alert authorities when registered sex offenders entered the park.
"I hope you're happy with this, it was to keep our kids safe," Jarrard said in a Facebook reel Monday. "That's what this is about, and you went and done this."
Jarrard said the damaged equipment will be replaced and that the new camera will have video capabilities that could help identify anyone who tries to tamper with it.
The incident comes as Flock's expanding network of license plate readers faces increasing scrutiny over privacy and how law enforcement agencies use the data. Police say the technology helps investigators locate stolen vehicles, identify suspects and solve crimes.
These concerns were reflected in the responses to the sheriff's social media post. More than 17,000 comments have been left on the post, many of them reflecting the public's concern over the potential usage of the Flock system to monitor law-abiding citizens.
Georgia officers accused of misusing the technology
Dig deeper:
The concerns are not hypothetical in Georgia.
In July, the GBI arrested five former Albany police officers after investigators said an internal audit found they accessed Flock's system and used retained license plate information for non-law-enforcement purposes.
The GBI also arrested a former Dallas Police Department 911 director last week for misusing the license plate reader system. Before that, three Coweta County sheriff's employees resigned amid a Flock camera review and a Habersham County deputy was fired and arrested after an audit revealed he allegedly used the system to track an individual with whom he had a personal relationship.
Other Georgia agencies have uncovered alleged misuse during audits, adding to the debate over who should be able to search the systems and what safeguards should be required.
Flock recently announced additional safeguards following reports of law enforcement misuse across the country. The changes include requiring searches to be associated with case codes, expanded auditing designed to flag abnormal searches and reducing the default retention period for license plate data from 30 days to seven days.
Cameras targeted elsewhere in Georgia
Lumpkin County is also not the first Georgia community to deal with damaged Flock cameras.
The Barrow County Sheriff's Office investigated three cases of criminal damage involving the cameras in July. The agency warned that intentionally damaging the government-owned equipment could result in criminal charges.
Camera will be replaced
What's next:
Despite the controversy surrounding the technology, Jarrard made clear Lumpkin County intends to continue using it.
"We will be placing another one there," Jarrard said, adding that the replacement's video capabilities could help authorities identify anyone who damages it.
Anyone with information about the destroyed camera is being asked to contact the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office.
RELATED STORIES:
- Former Dallas police 911 director accused of Flock camera misuse
- 3 Coweta sheriff's employees resign amid Flock review
- Habersham County deputy fired, arrested for misuse of license plate data
- Two Flock Safety cameras damaged by fire near Albany
- Georgia cops' alleged misuse of Flock license plate tracking data fuels privacy concerns
- 3 Fayetteville officers fired for misusing license plate system
- Atlanta police auditing use of Flock license plate reader system