The Georgia Sheriff’s Office arrested a second deputy in a month for alleged misuse of Flock; The last case involved someone with whom he had a personal relationship.

A second Habersham County Sheriff’s Office deputy was fired and arrested less than a month after an internal audit found he allegedly used the department’s automated license plate reading system to track someone with whom he had a personal relationship. Former Deputy Jonathan Thomas, who joined the department on Dec. 2, 2024, was arrested during an ongoing review of how officers use surveillance technology. Thomas has been charged with one felony count of violation of oath of office and one misdemeanor count of misuse of license plate data, according to a statement from the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office reported by 11Alive. He was later booked into the Habersham County Detention Center. Thomas’ firing is the second case in as many weeks involving alleged misuse of the agency’s Flock Safety system. It follows the arrest in late July of former MP Christian Brewer, who faced the same charges after allegedly using the database to track someone he knew personally.

Internal review finds second case

The latest case was discovered during a broader review by department leaders to ensure that access to the database was used only for legitimate police investigations. “As we continue to conduct our audit into the use of our Flock system, we have discovered a second officer who accessed Flock outside of its law enforcement purpose,” Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum said in a public statement reported by 11Alive. The July arrest of Brewer, who had worked for the sheriff’s office since May 2024, led command staff to expand their controls of the system. In that case, WSB-TV Channel 2 reported that Krockum personally addressed the abuse and emphasized the importance of public trust. “The people of Habersham County trust us with authority and access to confidential information,” Krockum said in a statement carried by WSB-TV. “This trust is earned every day and can be lost with 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 be held accountable because the public we serve deserves no less.”

New rules for surveillance access

After the two cases, the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office introduced stricter rules for accessing license plate data. According to WSB-TV Channel 2 and All On Georgia, the agency reduced the number of employees authorized to conduct certain license plate searches from 39 to 23 designated supervisory officers. Under the new rules, deputies can no longer search the regional database on their own. Each search must first be approved by a supervisor. The supervisor must record the reason for the search and enter a valid, active criminal case number into the system. Officers must also radio the county dispatch center so that each search is recorded in the official record. “We will continue to audit our system and hold accountable those who have abused this system,” Krockum said in a statement published by 11Alive. “We will continue to be transparent to the public in how we conduct ourselves and hold accountable those who violate their trust.” Flock Safety technology uses networks of fixed cameras to photograph passing vehicles. The cameras record license plates, vehicle make, model, color and other identifying characteristics, along with the time and location of each image. The system does not directly display vehicle ownership or driver personal records. However, it stores location data for 30 days, allowing authorized users to see where a particular vehicle has traveled in participating areas.

Georgia faces broader scrutiny

The two Habersham County arrests are part of a broader focus on the use of automated camera systems by law enforcement agencies across Georgia. Reports from Hoodline and Now Georgia say internal audits and investigations by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have led to criminal charges or resignations involving more than 20 law enforcement employees across the state for unauthorized searches of surveillance data. Recent cases include four former Savannah Police Department employees who were arrested following an internal review. Three former Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were also charged with stalking and illegally maintaining license plate information after allegedly accessing records involving personal acquaintances. Similar investigations into camera and license plate data have been conducted in Cherokee, DeKalb, Coweta, Greene and Albany counties. The felony charges against the former Habersham County deputies fall under Georgia Code § 16-10-1, which covers violation of oath by a public official. A conviction can carry a prison sentence of one to five years. The related misdemeanor charge falls under Georgia Code § 35-1-22, which establishes rules for the use of automatic license plate reader data and prohibits searches other than for official purposes. The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office said the criminal investigation into Thomas remains active. Once the investigation is completed, the final case file will be sent to the Prosecutor’s Office for subsequent legal processing.