Clayton County Deputy Arrested in Latest Georgia Case Involving Alleged Misuse of Flock Cameras

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. – A Clayton County sheriff’s deputy has been arrested after investigators say he used the agency’s Flock Safety license plate reader system for purposes unrelated to law enforcement, the latest in a series of similar cases involving Georgia law enforcement personnel.

Errol Farrell Jr., 40, of Lithonia, is charged with misuse of a license plate reader system, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Farrell turned himself in Sept. 1 and was booked into the Clayton County Jail.

The investigation began after the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to investigate suspected misuse of the department’s Flock Safety system.

Preliminary information indicates Farrell used the system for non-law enforcement purposes, the GBI said.

Authorities have not disclosed what Farrell is accused of searching for, how many times he allegedly accessed the system improperly or what prompted the investigation.

Farrell’s arrest comes amid several investigations this year involving Georgia law enforcement personnel accused of improperly accessing Flock license plate reader data.

Also on Sept. 1, the GBI arrested Georgia Department of Corrections Special Agent in Charge Robert “Bobby” Michael Keim, 45, of Eatonton, on the same charge. Investigators said Keim used the corrections department’s Flock Safety system for non-law enforcement purposes.

In August, four current or former Savannah Police Department employees were arrested following a GBI investigation into allegations that the department’s license plate reader system was accessed for purposes unrelated to law enforcement.

A former Polk County police officer who had been assigned to a regional drug task force was also arrested after investigators determined she allegedly used a license plate reader system for personal reasons unrelated to her law enforcement duties.

In another case, three Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies were arrested after an internal investigation found they allegedly accessed the county’s Flock license plate camera system for personal reasons.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said an internal audit conducted with assistance from Flock Safety identified irregularities involving the deputies’ use of the system.

Automated license plate reader systems capture information from passing vehicles, allowing authorized users to search vehicle data as part of criminal investigations and other law enforcement functions. The recent arrests have raised questions about how agencies control and audit access to that information when individual officers use the systems.

The GBI’s investigation into Farrell remains active. Anyone with information can contact the GBI Atlanta Regional Investigative Office in Conyers at 770-388-5019.