A former Polk County police officer has been arrested on charges of misusing the Flock camera system, according to the GBI (Credit: Polk County Sheriff's Office)
POLK COUNTY, Ga. - A former Polk County police officer has been arrested on charges of misusing the Flock camera system, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
What we know:
Tracey Royston, 51, is facing four misdemeanor counts of misuse of a license plate reader system, the GBI stated.
Authorities stated that on July 31, the Polk County Police Department requested the GBI to investigate the misuse of the Cedartown Police Department's Flock system.
Royston was previously assigned to the Northwest Georgia Drug Task Force, which is managed by the GBI. She used her status as a task force agency to gain access to the Cedartown police system, according to authorities.
GBI officials added that Royston allegedly accessed the license plate reader system multiple times between 2024 and 2025 for non-law enforcement reasons.
Royston was arrested on Friday and booked into the Polk County Jail.
Jail records show Royston was released on a $4,000 bond.
Authorities stated the case is still under investigation, but will be sent to the local district attorney.
Dig deeper:
Royston's arrest is the latest in a string of law enforcement officers accused of misusing the automated database.
This month, three Coweta County sheriff's employees resigned amid a Flock camera review.
Last month, a former Habersham County deputy was fired and arrested after an internal audit revealed he misused the Flock camera system to track an individual with whom he had a personal relationship.
The Fayetteville Police Department terminated three of its officers after unauthorized searches in the system.
The recent arrests include five police officers in Albany, who were also charged, a deputy in Greene County who was also fired and charged, and a Cherokee County lieutenant and sargent charged for violating their oath in relation to Flock camera misuse.
Following the arrests, there has been nationwide public pushback and physical tampering targeting Flock safety cameras.
Henry and Barrow counties have seen cases of damaged Flock cameras. In Albany, two cameras were damaged by fire.
RELATED STORIES:
- 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
What we don't know:
GBI authorities did not specify the exact reasons Royston was accessing the camera network.
It is unclear whose vehicle or license plate information was accessed during the unauthorized searches between 2024 and 2025.
Authorities did not specify how many times or the specific dates she accessed the system beyond the general timeframe.
Officials did not detail what prompted the initial allegations or how the Polk County Police Department became aware of the misuse.
The Source: The information in this story comes from a press release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports.