ATLANTA, Ga. — Already this year, more than 10 officers have been fired and charged for misusing surveillance technology.
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License plate reading cameras have become commonplace throughout the state. The technology helps officers solve crimes and track criminals. However, when used improperly, it can lead to an invasion of privacy, stalking, and more.
“The technology is terrible in the wrong hands,” Emory Professor Rajiv Garg said.
Garg says each arrest hurts the public’s trust in the technology.
“If we lose trust, we are not going to be able to use technology for good,” Garg said.
However, Georgia-based Flock Safety says they are working to help departments hold bad actors accountable.
“Any misuse of the Flock system is unacceptable, period,” Trevor Chandler, Flock Safety’s senior public affairs director, said. “Public safety and trust are intertwined. There is no public safety without trust in law enforcement and the tools law enforcement uses.”
Chandler says Flock now offers every department they work with an audit-assistance tool that flags abnormal searches.
“It provides your agency with the low-hanging fruit of if you’re looking for potential accidents, potential misuse, these are the ones you should look at first,” Chandler said.
Last week, Flock said the technology helped flag misuse by 5 Albany officers, who have since been fired and charged.
“We want to make sure that they are held accountable,” Chandler said.
The audit assist tool is offered free of charge to any department the company works with. However, it is up to each department to opt in and enforce the rules. CHandler also says it is not a replacement for departments doing their own audits.
“We would rather these tough conversations happen, and the people who are misusing the system be identified than it just be swept under the rug,” Chandler said.
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