[REVISION HISTORY]

Hall County license plate reader misuse

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What changed

2026-09-02 23:15 UTC → 2026-09-04 01:36 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In Hall County, an investigator named Melissa Wood was terminated following an internal investigation into the misuse of the agency’s Flock Safety license plate reader system. The investigation determined that Wood used the technology to track an individual for personal reasons unrelated to law enforcement duties. Wood is the third investigator to be fired during an ongoing audit of the Flock Safety system by the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. The agency has stated that these violations will be referred to the Hall County Solicitor’s Office and the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council for further review, while the Internal Affairs Unit continues its audit. Broader scrutiny of Flock Safety technology has led to legislative and departmental shifts in other regions. In Florida, the Department of Transportation issued a memorandum ordering the removal of automated license plate readers on state-maintained roads within 30 days, citing data privacy concerns and reports of misuse. Governor Ron DeSantis has advocated for stricter regulations to prevent the state from becoming a “digital surveillance state.” This regulatory environment has prompted several Florida municipalities, including Gainesville and Palm Bay, to suspend usage, while Cape Coral has discontinued the technology entirely. Similar scrutiny has impacted the Kenosha, Wisconsin, Police Department, which is transitioning from Flock to a competing system from Axon.

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