Above file video: Savannah police employees face Flock misuse charges The Bryan County Sheriff’s Office has tightened access to its automated license plate reader system and adopted new safeguards following a review of nearly four years of searches, Sheriff Mark Crowe announced Wednesday. In an open letter, Crowe said an audit of the agency’s Flock Safety system flagged 23 instances in which the same license plate number was searched more than once. Investigators reviewed each search and connected it to a legitimate, previously opened case. The review, completed in July, found no misuse by Sheriff’s Office personnel, Crowe said. “Recent incidents involving the misuse of this system by law enforcement agencies across the country have raised legitimate concerns about oversight, accountability and safeguards,” Crowe wrote. “These incidents have also highlighted areas where both law enforcement agencies and Flock Safety must do better.” The Sheriff’s Office began using Flock Safety cameras about four years ago, Crowe said. The cameras capture license plate information that law enforcement agencies can search during investigations. Under the department’s updated policy, every vehicle search must now be tied to a specific case and qualifying offense. Users must also document the reason for a search. The agency reduced the number of people with access to the system from 79 to 16. Access is now limited to command staff, patrol lieutenants and higher-ranking officers, along with…
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