Habersham County deputy fired, arrested for misuse of license plate data

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A former Habersham County deputy was fired and arrested after he allegedly misused license plate data. (Credit: Habersham County Sheriff's Office)

HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. - A Habersham County deputy has been fired and arrested after officials said he misused the Flock camera system.

Investigation details

What we know:

Following an internal audit, Former Deputy Christian Brewer is accused of accessing the Flock camera system and using retained licensed data for personal reasons.

The sheriff's office said that after investigating they found that this was an isolated incident involving someone he had a personal relationship with.

Brewer was arrested and booked into the Habersham County Detention Center. He now faces felony violation of oath charges and two counts of misdemeanor misuse of license plate data.

According to authorities, Brewer first started with the Habersham County Sheriff's Office on May 6, 2024.

The Habersham County Sheriff's Office did confirm the investigation is active and ongoing.

What we don't know:

While the sheriff's office confirms this was an isolated incident involving only one specific individual, the statement does not disclose how many times former Deputy Brewer accessed the system to track that person, exactly when the searches occurred, or the specific dates the unauthorized tracking took place.

Authorities did not disclose the nature of Brewer's relationship with the individual tracked or the identity of the person.

It is unclear if Brewer used the real-time vehicle location data to physically follow, harass, or confront the individual, or if the data was used strictly for digital monitoring.

While Brewer was booked into the Habersham County Detention Center, the statement does not confirm if he remains in custody or if a bond has been set.

Sheriff Robin Krockum statement

What they're saying:

"The people of Habersham County trust us with authority and access to sensitive information. This trust is earned every day and can be lost in a single decision. Any misuse of our authority or the tools provided to your deputies is a betrayal of that trust. Although this was an isolated incident, I will not tolerate misconduct. We will hold our own accountable because the public we serve deserves no less," said Sheriff Robin Krockum.

Habersham sheriff database process

The backstory:

In their statement, the Habersham County Sheriff's Office stated the Flock system only captures a picture of the license plate and vehicle details and does not contain any personal information about the owner.

The sheriff's office also stated that the information is purged after being kept in the system for 30 days.

"Although the choice of this deputy casts a bad light on the use of this technology, FLOCK continues to be a valuable tool for law enforcement that has been proven to save lives," Krockum said.

Authorities added that the camera network has been used to solve major crimes, recover stolen vehicles, and locate missing persons. It added that the system is strictly limited to law enforcement personnel.

Recent Georgia cops' arrests

Dig deeper:

Brewer's arrest mirrors a sweeping wave of law enforcement terminations and criminal arrests across Georgia tied to the misuse of the Flock camera system.

Earlier this month, the Fayetteville Police Department terminated three of its officers after unauthorized searches in the system.

In Greene County, Deputy Quin'sha Goss was fired and charged with misusing the system.

The recent arrests include five police officers in Albany, who were also charged at the beginning of this month..

Last month, Cherokee County Lt. Chris Bryant, 45, and Sgt. Mike Creeden, 35, were charged last month with violating their oath.

Recent arrests have triggered privacy concerns, communities across the nation pulling their contracts, and people going as far as damaging the devices.