Internal audit exposes Cherokee deputies misusing license plate readers
Chris Bryant and Mike Creeden (Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office)
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - Cherokee Sheriff's investigators arrested two agency members Monday after an internal database audit revealed multiple employees used automated license plate readers for non-law enforcement purposes.
Georgia law violations
What we know:
On Monday, authorities made two additional arrests for the exact same offenses.
Lieutenant Chris Bryant, 45, of Acworth, and Sergeant Mike Creeden, 35, of Cartersville, were arrested and booked into jail.
Both men face one felony count of violation of oath of office and one misdemeanor count of prohibition on law enforcement retaining license plate data.
Cherokee sheriff database audit
The backstory:
Deputy Cynthia Jodesty was originally arrested by investigators on June 12.
The Cherokee Sheriff's Office Real-Time Intelligence Division recently conducted self-initiated audits of its Automated License Plate Reader system to ensure compliance with policy and state law.
During those audits, investigators discovered a series of anomalies associated with three authorized users who ultimately violated state law and agency policy.
Misuse investigation details
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the specific reasons or personal motivations behind why the employees were look up the restricted license plate data.
Deputy termination
What's next:
Both Bryant and Creeden have been terminated from the sheriff's office. The two former deputies are currently held in custody at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center, with a bond set at $3,812.00 each.
Sheriff Frank Reynolds statement
What they're saying:
"Our community expects and demands the highest level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability from the Cherokee Sheriff's Office," Sheriff Frank Reynolds said. "Maintaining the public's trust requires that our employees uphold the law, safeguard sensitive information, and use the tools entrusted to us only for legitimate law enforcement purposes. I remain committed to ensuring that our agency continues to operate with transparency, professionalism and the highest ethical standards."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Cherokee Sheriff's Office records and statements.