AVONDALE ESTATES, Ga. — Public scrutiny of automated license plate readers has reached city halls and county commission meetings in Georgia and across the country, as the public questions how police use the technology, who can access the data and what happens when officers misuse it. Those concerns came to Avondale Estates Aug. 26, where residents questioned Police Chief Harry Hess about the city's use of Flock Safety cameras and its participation in a broader network that allows law enforcement agencies to share license plate data. The scrutiny has increasingly centered on a more pointed question: Who is watching the police when they use this technology? Georgia law requires law enforcement agencies using ALPRs to maintain policies governing their use. But many of the safeguards surrounding the systems, including how often searches are audited and whether anyone outside law enforcement reviews their use, are left to individual agencies. That has produced different approaches even within DeKalb County. Avondale police conduct weekly audits internally, while DeKalb County says its police department conducts comprehensive Flock audits every two weeks. Recent audits in DeKalb have also identified potential policy violations, putting the county's oversight system to a real-world test. DeKalb County commissioners are considering adding independent civilian oversight of the county's surveillance network, while state officials are examining whether Georgia needs more consistent…
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