Cobb County Police Chief Dan Ferrell will face residents' questions about Flock Safety license plate readers at a town hall Monday, Aug. 31, at Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center, 2051 Lower Roswell Road. The 6:30 to 8 p.m. session comes as more than 20 Georgia law enforcement officers have been disciplined or charged for misusing the cameras in the past year and a state senator has formed a task force to address the problem.
A Cobb County government Facebook post announcing the town halls drew more than 600 comments, many critical of the surveillance technology. Cobb police have not faced misuse allegations similar to those at other Georgia agencies.
Albers convenes task force
State Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, announced Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the state Capitol that he has convened a law enforcement task force to address the misuse wave, the Marietta Daily Journal reported. The task force includes the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Georgia Sheriffs' Association and has already spoken with Flock Safety about building system safeguards to prevent unauthorized searches.
"Like every citizen in our state, we're concerned about the abuses that have taken place, and let's be clear, it is both wrong and unacceptable," Albers told reporters. "At the same time, we have to be smart and have a balanced approach, as 99.9% of our law enforcement officers at all times are doing great things for our community."
Albers, who chairs the Georgia Senate Committee on Public Safety, declined to commit to new legislation, saying he wants to continue working with the task force before pursuing any new laws.
Arrests across Georgia
An Atlanta News First investigation published July 31 found at least 20 officers disciplined or charged in the past year, with cases accelerating after Flock Safety launched its "Audit Assistance" tool in April. That tool uses AI to flag abnormal search activity and alert supervisors.
Cases span the state: three Bibb County deputies arrested for allegedly stalking people they had personal relationships with; four former Savannah Police Department employees arrested by the GBI on Aug. 21; five former Albany officers arrested in July; and officers in Cherokee, DeKalb, Fayetteville and Greene counties fired or charged.
Under Georgia law, license plate data held by law enforcement can only be accessed for law enforcement purposes. Misuse can result in a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
Flock cuts data retention
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley announced Aug. 13 that the Atlanta-based company is cutting its default data retention from 30 days to seven, noting that more than 90% of investigative searches already happen within a week. The company is also making its audit system mandatory for all law enforcement customers by year's end and requiring case codes for every search.
Existing customers, including Cobb County, keep their current locally approved retention periods. The seven-day window applies to new or updating contracts.
Albers cited the cameras' role in tracking Deion Patterson, accused of shooting five women at a Midtown Atlanta hospital in May 2023, who was found in Cobb County hours later using plate reader data. Patterson is awaiting trial.
Additional Cobb police town halls are scheduled Tuesday, Sept. 1, at West Cobb Senior Center and Sept. 15 at North Cobb Senior Center in Acworth. All sessions run 6:30 to 8 p.m.
