Decaturish reported on August 31 that questions about who checks police use of license plate readers have reached city halls and county commission meetings in Georgia. The questions include who can access the data and what happens when officers misuse it.
Who sets the rules for plate readers in Georgia?
State law sets the floor. Agencies that use automated license plate readers (ALPRs) must keep written policies that cover training, Decaturish says. Access is limited to law enforcement purposes, and agencies can share data with other law enforcement agencies for those purposes.
- Obtaining ALPR data under false pretenses, or for a purpose unrelated to law enforcement, is a crime.
- Data generally must be destroyed within 30 months unless it is kept for an authorized purpose.
- Captured plate data is exempt from the Georgia Open Records Act.
The statute does not say how often departments must audit searches, who inside a department can search, or whether an outside reviewer must check searches. It also does not require public reporting. Christopher Bruce of the ACLU of Georgia says that requiring written policies does not by itself provide sufficient accountability.
How does Avondale Estates oversee its cameras?
Avondale Estates has 10 Flock cameras. Its police chief, Harry Hess, presented the department's policies at an August 26 work session after residents questioned him about them.
Avondale's written policy restricts use to official business and requires individual logins. It calls for audits "on a regular basis" without a schedule. In practice, Decaturish reports, the department audits weekly.
- Hess and Deputy Chief Jerry Branch cannot search Flock data, so they can audit the officers who can.
- Four patrol sergeants can search within Georgia. Two detectives have broader access.
- Every search needs a case or dispatch number and the offense under investigation.
- Avondale keeps its Flock data for 30 days, far less than the 30-month limit.
Oversight rests with Hess. City Manager Patrick Bryant told Decaturish the city's board of mayor and commissioners does not oversee individual searches. Bryant also said the full police policy manual is not published online, though he gave Decaturish the three-page ALPR policy.
About 300 outside law enforcement agencies can access Avondale's Flock data. Hess can audit those searches during the 30-day window and can revoke an outside agency's access.
What is DeKalb County considering?
DeKalb County's police department audits its Flock use every two weeks, according to what the county told WSB-TV. Those audits found potential violations involving eight employees. Five of them searched for vehicles without a legitimate law enforcement purpose. Three had legitimate reasons but skipped required steps or documentation.
Between January 1 and July 24, police personnel ran 53,276 Flock searches, the county told WSB-TV.
Commissioner Ted Terry introduced a resolution this spring calling for independent civilian oversight and auditing of the county's Digital Shield surveillance program, with annual public reporting. It was still before the county commission at its August 25 meeting.
What is the state doing?
State Sen. John Albers, who chairs the Senate Public Safety Committee, is working with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Georgia Sheriffs' Association on a task force. It will look at audit standards and tighter controls on who can access the systems. Hess is a vice president on the chiefs association's executive board and is involved in those talks.
What changes for drivers?
Nothing in state law has changed yet. The task force has not issued recommendations, and the DeKalb resolution is not decided. Decaturish reports the rules that apply now. In Avondale Estates, the 10 Flock cameras are the city's, and outside agencies can reach their data during its 30-day retention window.
To see what cameras are in your area, check the camera map. For the state's rules on ALPRs, read how plate readers work.
What is still unknown?
- Decaturish does not say how many cameras DeKalb County operates.
- Decaturish does not say what discipline, if any, followed the DeKalb violations.
- Decaturish does not name the outside agencies that have access to Avondale's data.
The task force is expected to make recommendations before the 2027 legislative session.