Five Albany Police Officers No Longer Employed After Investigation Into Misuse of License Plate Reader Technology

ALBANY, Ga. — Five Albany police officers are no longer employed with the department following an internal investigation into the improper use of license plate reader technology.

According to the Albany Police Department, officials identified serious policy violations involving the unauthorized use of the department’s license plate reader (LPR) system.

License plate reader technology is intended to assist legitimate law enforcement operations, including identifying vehicles connected to criminal investigations, recovering stolen vehicles, and locating individuals during public safety incidents.

The department said using the technology for any purpose outside of those authorized functions is unacceptable and violates the standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability expected of its officers.

After discovering the violations, the department immediately launched an internal administrative investigation.

As a result of the investigation, three officers were terminated for improperly using the license plate reader system.

Two additional officers who were part of the investigation were previously dismissed for separate, unrelated policy violations uncovered during the administrative review.

The department also referred the matter to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to determine whether any criminal laws were violated.

Police officials said the department is reviewing its policies, strengthening oversight, and reinforcing employee training regarding the use of law enforcement technology.

The Albany Police Department said maintaining the public’s trust remains a top priority and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the ethical use of technology while serving the community.