A Central Florida police officer is accused of using Flock camera technology to track his estranged wife’s vehicle 717 times over a 21-month period, according to an affidavit.
According to Polk County online court records, Christopher Anthony Goodson, 31, an officer with the Haines City Police Department, was arrested on Aug. 11. He was charged with one count of offenses against users of computers, computer systems, computer networks, and electronic devices; and one count of official misconduct, according to an arrest affidavit.
Goodson, who has been an officer with the Haines City Police Department since March 2022, was placed on paid administrative leave, WTVT reported.
According to court records, Goodson informed his supervisor on Aug. 10 that he had made “several inquiries” on the Flock camera platform -- an automated program that reads license plates -- into his estranged wife’s vehicle.
Goodson allegedly told his supervisor that he had received a text message from his wife, stating that she had been contacted by The Washington Post, which was preparing to run a story about Goodson’s alleged misuse of the database.
According to the affidavit, Goodson said he searched his wife’s vehicle to keep track of his children’s location when they were with her.
A query revealed that Goodson had searched for his wife’s vehicle in the Flock database 717 times between Sept. 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026, the affidavit stated.
Police said that Goodson had accessed the system while he was working and when he was off duty, WFLA reported. The affidavit stated that Goodson used a laptop computer and cellphone issued by the police department to access the information.
After a handful of inquiries, Goodson allegedly tracked the vehicle driven by his wife 86 times in August 2025, 280 times in September 2025, 72 times in October 2025, 104 times in November 2025 and 68 times in December 2025.
According to the affidavit, Goodson gave several reasons for his searches, including road rage and reckless driving, drug possession, traffic infractions, theft, fleeing police, and assault-battery offenses.
Investigators determined that Goodson’s wife was never involved in any type of criminal investigation, nor was her vehicle listed as being part of a crime, WFLA reported.
The Flock incident in Florida mirrors several other recent incidents around the country.
In Massachusetts, a Stow Police Department officer is accused of using police databases -- including the Flock camera platform -- to obtain information about a woman he previously dated, WFXT reported.
On Monday, an officer with the Menasha Police Department in Wisconsin pleaded no contest to misusing the Flock platform and was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of probation, according to WBAY.
Flock, a company that is based in Atlanta, has installed more than 120,000 of its cameras nationwide since 2017, the Post reported. Last week, the company said it would begin requiring officers to label every search with a criminal case number, according to the newspaper. It would also automatically review all searches for “abnormal activity,” company officials said.
On Aug. 2, the Post reported that at least 50 officers had been accused, charged with or convicted of misusing Flock’s system and other license-plate readers to spy on people’s locations. Since that report, the newspaper confirmed more than a dozen additional cases of license-plate-reader misuse.
In a statement, Haines City police Chief Isaac Jackson called the charges against Goodson “an unfortunate incident.”
“The Haines City Police Department fully supports all appropriate investigative measures necessary to solve crimes and assist our officers in carrying out their duties,” Jackson said. “We want to make it clear that the Haines City Police Department does not tolerate the misuse, unauthorized access, or personal use of any investigative databases or law-enforcement information systems.
“These resources are provided for legitimate official purposes only and must be used responsibly and in accordance with department policies and applicable laws.”
Haines City police said the department will continue using Flock cameras, WTVT reported. Officials said it is an effective investigative tool when used properly.
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