AVONDALE ESTATES, Ga. — Avondale Estates Police Chief Harry Hess defended the city's use of Flock Safety license plate readers Wednesday, outlining safeguards against misuse as residents questioned the city's participation in a broader surveillance network. The meeting highlighted a central tension: While residents largely credited local police with establishing strict internal safeguards, many questioned whether those protections would suffice once municipal data entered a broader system outside local control. Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based public safety technology company, manufactures automated license plate readers. The network captures vehicle photos, license plates and timestamps, allowing participating law enforcement agencies to search and share data nationwide. Several residents made a distinction throughout the meeting: Their concern was less with Avondale Estates police than with Flock and the other law enforcement agencies connected to its system. "My beef is not [with Avondale police] and Flock. It's everyone else," resident Adam Galatioto said. "I don't think any of us have any reason to think they have done anything untoward," Hendler said of Avondale police. "But we're in the system, and we know that this system has been used for other purposes." Residents cited recent misuse of Flock by DeKalb County police, in which eight department employees were suspended this month for violating system policies, including five who conducted searches without a legitimate…
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